JANE HAVEMEYER

1941 - 2021

HAVEMEYER--Jane L. In loving honor and memory of Jane L. Havemeyer, who was for nearly forty years the essential and indispensable leader of New York ChoicePac, a political committee for New York State. Six years after Roe v Wade, and nine years after New York State had passed a law decriminalizing abortion, Jane, a former lobbyist for New York City in Albany, watched with dismay the growing strength of the so-called "Right to Life Party," which by 1978 had gained a line on the ballot. Jane and several other forward-thinking, politically active individuals launched a bi-partisan independent political committee, (originally named Citizens for Family Planning), which would support pro-choice candidates for election in New York State. Within two years, a federal committee was added to support New York candidates in Congressional races. Jane remained active as Chair for the life of the organization, until she and the Steering Committee agreed to close it in 2017. By that time, state and federal laws had changed, and pro-choice charitable organizations were allowed to create Pacs and C4s to do political work. Victor A. Kovner, Marcia Allina, Jennifer B. Lynn, Shelby White, Carolyn Kamlet, Wendy Mackenzie