Emma May Vilardi (née Sutton; June 23, 1922 – July 9, 1990) Emma was born Emma May Sutton in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

in 1922 and died in

Carson City Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the 6th most populous city in the state. The m ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

in 1990. Emma authored ''Heritage and Legacy: Town of Kearny, New Jersey'' in 1967 and a booklet titled ''Handbook for the Search'' in 1973 which was originally distributed to members of ALMA Society and then later by TRIADOPTION® Publications. She also wrote a number of unpublished children’s stories.

Early career

In 1975, she founded the

International Soundex Reunion Registry The International Soundex Reunion Registry, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax exempt, humanitarian organization founded in 1975 by Emma May Vilardi. ISRR is a free mutual consent adoption reunion registry for persons desiring a reunion with next ...

, Inc. (ISRR) as a free mutual consent registry serving

adoptees Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

, foster children and others separated from birth family. This registry was supported by Vilardi and her husband Tony for many years. They saved all the donations until they were able to purchase the first

computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...

and then the building in Carson City, Nevada which housed the registry until 2007. Vilardi was survived by her husband, son Ed, sister Pat and many nieces, nephews and grandchildren. In addition, Vilardi served as a mentor to many, with her expertise in

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

research utilized to assist persons seeking reunion with family from whom they had been separated. She served on the planning committees which created the

American Adoption Congress The American Adoption Congress (AAC) was an international adoption-reform organization created in the late 1970s as an umbrella organization for adoption search, support, and reform groups. Initiated by Orphan Voyage founder Jean Paton, people rep ...

(AAC) and was an original signer to the 1981 incorporation. She was also involved in and served on the advisory board of TRIADOPTION Library and other movement organizations.

Dear Abby

Dear Abby ''Dear Abby'' is an American advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name "Abigail Van Buren" and carried on today by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now owns the legal rights to the pen name. History According to Pau ...

wrote a number of responses referring her readers to ISRR beginning in 1983, because after speaking with Vilardi many times, Abigail VanBuren was supportive of the neutral position the registry provided. Vilardi was involved with the offices of Senator

Carl Levin Carl Milton Levin (June 28, 1934 – July 29, 2021) was an American attorney and politician who served as a List of United States senators from Michigan, United States senator from Michigan from 1979 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (U ...

in his numerous attempts to create a federally support registry.

Adoption reform

Emma May was among those pioneers of adoption reform whose influence is broader than often recognized. In her honor, the AAC has given the "Emma Vilardi Humanitarian Award" annually since 1991.

Legacy

Emma created many of the forms and letters still utilized in search today. Maybe most widely used are versions of her “Waiver of Confidentiality”. The ISRR website has many of those original creations and even some in her handwriting. (www.isrr.net) . Her name is mentioned in newsletters and articles of the 1979’s and 80’s (see www.triadoption.com “Newsletters” or “Articles”). Emma’s legacy is many things, but most of all the tens of thousands of individuals who have been reunited because of her insight, commitment and vision.Adoption Movement Pioneers

Emma Mae Vilardi Humanitarian Award

Since her passing in 1990, the

has honored her life and commitment to the adoption community with the Emma May Vilardi Humanitarian Award. The award is distributed annually at the American Adoption Congress International Conference. In 2007, upon the passing of Vilardi's husband, Tony, the award was renamed the Vilardi Award to honor both of them.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vilardi, Emma May 1922 births 1990 deaths Writers from Kansas City, Missouri 20th-century American women writers Adoption in the United States