Roe v. Wade attorney to speak at Cornell March 18

MOUNT VERNON — Sarah Weddington, the attorney who argued the winning side in the Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion in 1973, will be the keynote speaker at the Third Annual Feminist Symposium sponsored by the Women’s Action Group at Cornell College on Saturday, March 18.

Her lecture, “Reproductive Rights: The Current Political Climate and Controversy,” is at 3:30 p.m. on the Orange Carpet in The Commons. A reception will follow in Hedges Conference Room. Admission is free to the lecture and other symposium activities, which take place in The Commons from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Weddington represented plaintiff Norma McCorvey – known as “Jane Roe” – in the landmark abortion rights case before the Supreme Court. Her 1992 best-seller, “A Question of Choice,” recounted her life and involvement in the case.

Currently a speaker, writer and teacher, Weddington has been a longtime advocate for women. In 1972, she became the first woman from Austin elected to the 150-member Texas House of Representatives, and served three terms. In 1977, she was the first woman to hold the title of General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture where she supervised more than 200 lawyers. From 1978 to 1981, she served as assistant to President Jimmy Carter, directing the administration’s work on women’s issues and leadership outreach. From 1983 to 1985, she was the first female director of the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations.

The Feminist Symposium will feature presentations on feminist research throughout the day, plus a book signing by Mary Vermillion from noon to 1 p.m. at the Cornell Bookstore. Author of the Mara Gilgannon mystery series, Vermillion will read excerpts from her just-released book, “Murder by Mascot,” during one of the presentation slots. She is an associate professor of English at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids. Her first novel, “Death by Discount,” portrays Wal-Mart’s impact on small-town America.