Joseph D. Tydings

Biographical Information
"Senator Joseph D. Tydings guided Congress toward recognizing family planning as a basic human right of all Americans. He introduced 15 different bills concerned with the provision of family planning services and the exploration of population issues.  In 1966, when he first introduced legislation to provide voluntary family planning services to American women, such services were virtually nonexistent.  The following year, he led the way as Congress included family planning services in the maternal and child health provisions of the Social Security Act amendments and in the Economic Opportunity Act amendments.  He also worked for the inclusion of family planning provisions in foreign aid legislation. "


 * Council, Population Action International
 * Winner (1970), Margaret Sanger Award