Fred Emil Mecklenburg (1935Smith, Joe T. (1968).
American directory of obstetricians and gynecologists: Volume 8.
' - April 6, 2020) was an American

obstetrician-gynecologist Obstetrics and gynaecology (also spelled as obstetrics and gynecology; abbreviated as Obst and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and t ...

who had been active in

opposition to legal abortion Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in response to the legali ...

. He was a founder of the

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) is the oldest and largest anti-abortion organization in Minnesota. Founded in 1968 to resist the legalization of abortion, MCCL works through education, legislation and political action to oppose abor ...

, American Citizens Concerned for Life, and chairman of the

National Right to Life Committee The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is the oldest and largest national anti-abortion organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and more than 3,000 local chapters nationwide. Since the 1980s, NRLC has influenc ...

from 1973 to 1975.Morgan, Lynn Marie; Michaels, Meredith W. (1999). ''Fetal Subjects, Feminist Positions.'' University of Pennsylvania Press,

Life and career

Mecklenburg grew up in Minnesota. His wife,

Marjory Mecklenburg Marjory E. Malo Mecklenburg (born 1935) is an American government administrator. She has served as an advisor for the Office of Technology Assessment and was appointed by Ronald Reagan to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, serving in ...

grew up in

Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota Inver Grove Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 35,801 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city was formed on March 9, 1965, with the merger of the village of ...

, and they were high school debating partners before marriage.Thibodeau, Lynn (1977). ''The Happy Housewife.'' Carillon Books, He and his wife have four children, one of whom is Karl Mecklenburg, a former

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

player for the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

.(17 December 1994)
MECK EAGER TO TACKLE LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL BRONCOS GREAT MOVING ON AFTER 12 SEASONS OF PROVING 'SLOW WHITE KID' COULD STAR IN NFL
''

Rocky Mountain News The ''Rocky Mountain News'' (nicknamed the ''Rocky'') was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. the Monday–Friday ...

'' Mecklenburg attended

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1957 and an additional degree in 1958. He graduated from the

University of Minnesota Medical School The University of Minnesota Medical School is a medical school at the University of Minnesota. It is a combination of three campuses located in Minneapolis, Duluth, and St. Cloud, Minnesota. The medical school has more than 17,000 alumni as of 2 ...

in 1960 and was certified in

obstetrics and gynaecology Obstetrics and gynaecology (also spelled as obstetrics and gynecology; abbreviated as Obst and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and ...

in 1968. His residency was interrupted when he served for two years in the

United States Army Medical Corps The Medical Corps (MC) of the U.S. Army is a staff corps (non-combat specialty branch) of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an M.D. or a D.O. degree, at least o ...

. He served as Director of Family Planning Programs, at University of Minnesota at a time when they opened a clinic off campus for married and unmarried students seeking family planning services.Associated Press (November 3, 1969). Family Clinic Opens On Campus. via ''

Gettysburg Times ''The Gettysburg Times'' is an American newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. News ...

'' He had a practice in

Edina, Minnesota Edina ( , ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 53,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 18th most populous ci ...

until relocating to the

Washington, D. C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

area in 1981, when his wife was appointed by

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

to Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs at the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the US federal government created to protect the health of the US people and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

. She had previously served on an advisory panel for the

Office of Technology Assessment The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) was an office of the United States Congress that operated from 1974 to 1995. OTA's purpose was to provide congressional members and committees with objective and authoritative analysis of the complex scien ...

investigating fertility planning technologies.

United States Office of Technology Assessment The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) was an office of the United States Congress that operated from 1974 to 1995. OTA's purpose was to provide congressional members and committees with objective and authoritative analysis of the complex scien ...

(1981). ''World population and fertility planning technologies : the next 20 years.'' DIANE, She later became Director of the

Office of Population Affairs The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) is part of the Office of Public Health and Science in the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is responsible for reproductive health topics, including adolescent pregnancy, family ...

where she served until 1985.Glaser, Vera (8 August 1981)
Teen-Age Pregnancy: Reagan Health Aide Says Teens Should Learn to Say No
''

Evening Independent The ''Evening Independent'' was St. Petersburg, Florida's first daily newspaper. The sister evening newspaper of the '' St. Petersburg Times'', it was launched as a weekly newspaper in March 1906 under the ownership of Willis B. Powell. In Nove ...

''Anderson, Jack and Joseph Spear (26 August 1987)
U.S. paid for mom's trips
''Ellensburg Daily Record'' Mecklenburg held an OB/GYN position with Kaiser Permanente in

Reston, Virginia Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, and a principal city of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Reston's population was 63,226. Founded in 1964, Rest ...

in the 1980s. Mecklenburg later joined the Inova Fairfax Women's Center in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, and he is currently Chairman of the OB/GYN department.Faculty: Fred E. Mecklenburg, M.D., A.B.O.G., F.A.C.O.G.

VCU School of Medicine The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine is the medical school of Virginia Commonwealth University, a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. It is the largest and second oldest medical school in Virginia. The school trace ...

website, Retrieved 22 August 2012(9 March 2000)
At Hospitals, Babies are Big Business
''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' ("Fred E. Mecklenburg, who came to Inova Fairfax in 1981...")

Opposition to abortion

Mecklenburg and his wife became involved in the

in 1967.(May 16, 1993). Driven to extremes. ''

St. Paul Pioneer Press The ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'' is a newspaper based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the east metro, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington countie ...

'' Mecklenburg served as president of the pro-life organization

, and his wife succeeded him in that position. Mecklenburg was a strong supporter of

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization

and urged the antiabortion movement not to object to

family planning Family planning is the consideration of the number of children a person wishes to have, including the choice to have no children, and the age at which they wish to have them. Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include marit ...

.Critchlow, Donald T. (2001). ''Intended Consequences: Birth Control, Abortion, and the Federal Government in Modern America.'' Oxford University Press, In 1972, he authored a book chapter, "The Indications for Induced Abortion: A Physician's Perspective", which argued in part that

pregnancy from rape Pregnancy is a potential result of rape. It has been studied in the context of war, particularly as a tool for genocide, as well as in other unrelated contexts, such as rape by a stranger, statutory rape, incest, and underage pregnancy. The ...

"is extremely rare."Mecklenburg, Fred E. (1972). The Indications for Induced Abortion: A Physician's Perspective. In ''Abortion and Social Justice'', Thomas Hilgers and Dennis Horan, eds., p. 50. Sheed & Ward, The chapter appeared in a book titled ''Abortion and Social Justice'', written in response to arguments before the Supreme Court regarding legalizing abortion in ''

Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protected the right to have an ...

''. Mecklenburg added that a woman exposed to the trauma of rape "will not

ovulate Ovulation is an important part of the menstrual cycle in female vertebrates where the egg cells are released from the ovaries as part of the ovarian cycle. In female humans ovulation typically occurs near the midpoint in the menstrual cycle and ...

even if she is 'scheduled' to." Mecklenburg said researchers in

Nazi death camps Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe, primarily in occupied Poland, during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocau ...

observed this effect by "selecting women who were about to ovulate and sending them to the gas chambers, only to bring them back after their realistic mock-killing, to see what the effect this had on their ovulatory patterns. An extremely high percentage of these women did not ovulate." Journalist Blythe Bernhard stated, "That article has influenced two generations of anti-abortion activists with the hope to build a medical case to ban all abortions without any exception."Bernhard, Blythe (August 22, 2012)
The roots of Rep. Todd Akin’s “legitimate” rape remarks.
''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' In 1975, Mecklenburg testified as an expert witness in a manslaughter prosecution against a

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

obstetrician, and criticized the abortion procedure used by the defendant.Mydans, Seth (22 January 1975)
Abortion Case May Be Dismissed
''

The Telegraph (Nashua) ''The Telegraph'', for most of its existence known as the ''Nashua Telegraph'', is a daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed ...

'' (

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

story) In the 1980s, Marjory Mecklenburg served as president of the

.Associated Press (February 27, 1985)
Resignation of Population Official Ends Expense Account Probe.
/ref> In 1988, Pennsylvania state Republican representative Stephen Freind, claiming to rely on Mecklenburg, publicly argued that rape prevents pregnancy with the odds of pregnancy being "one in millions and millions and millions." Mecklenburg responded in a prepared statement that he regretted his opinions were used to support Freind's position.Wolf, Don (2 April 1988)
Freind deserted in abortion stand
''Pittsburgh Press'' In 2012, Mecklenburg's 1972 article was mentioned as a possible source for similar comments made by U.S. Senate candidate

Todd Akin William Todd Akin (July 5, 1947 – October 3, 2021) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2001 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party. Born in New York City, Akin grew up in the Greater St. Louis ...

Selected publications

*Lucas EW Jr, Branton P, Mecklenburg FE, Moawad GN (2009). Ectopic breast fibroadenoma of the vulva. '' Obstet Gynecol''. 2009 Aug;114(2 Pt 2):460-2. *Khoury AN, Zhou QP, Gorenberg DM, Nies BM, Manley GE, Mecklenburg FE. '' J Matern Fetal Med''. 2001 Jun;10(3):186-92. A comparison of intermittent vaginal administration of two different doses of misoprostol suppositories with continuous dinoprostone for cervical ripening and labor induction. *Park CH, Ruprai D, Vandel NM, Hixon DL, Mecklenburg FE (1996). Rapid detection of group B streptococcal antigen from vaginal specimens using a new Optical ImmunoAssay technique. '' Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis''. 1996 Mar;24(3):125-8. *Mecklenburg FE (1973). Pregnancy: an adolescent crisis. Minn Med. 1973 Feb;56(2):101-4.

References

External links

Fred E. Mecklenburg, M.D., A.B.O.G., F.A.C.O.G.
via

VCU Medical Center The VCU Medical Center (VCU Health), formerly known as the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), is the medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), located in downtown Richmond, Virginia, United States. As MCV, VCU Medical Center merged ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mecklenburg, Fred 1935 births 2020 deaths American anti-abortion activists University of Minnesota alumni University of Minnesota Medical School alumni United States Army Medical Corps officers American obstetricians