Lois Cowles Harrison (June 23, 1934 – June 6, 2013) was a civic leader, women's rights activist, and philanthropist.

Early life and education

Lois Cowles was born in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, daughter of Gardner Cowles Jr., co-founder and publisher of '' Look Magazine'', and Lois Thornburg.Strentz, Her
"Gardner Cowles Jr. (Mike)"
Cowles Family Publishing Legacy, Drake University, Cowles Library. Accessed Jan. 15, 2018. She graduated from

Madeira School The Madeira School (simply referred to as Madeira School or Madeira) is an elite, Private school, private, Day school, day and Boarding school, boarding college-preparatory school for Single-sex education, girls in McLean, Virginia, United States ...

in Washington, D.C., and then from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

in Boston in 1956.

Civic leadership

Harrison moved to

Polk County, Florida Polk County () is a County (United States), county located in the Central Florida, central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. The county population was 725,046, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and estimated to be 818,330, as ...

, because her family owned a chain of newspapers in the state. From 1974 to 1978, Harrison was a member of the Florida Ethics Commission, and in 1975, she was appointed to the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women. In the 1970s, Harrison chaired the National League of Women Voters' ERA Committee, and in 1977 she was appointed by Governor

Reubin Askew Reubin O'Donovan Askew (September 11, 1928 – March 13, 2014) was an American politician, who served as the 37th governor of Florida from 1971 to 1979. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 7th U.S. trade representative from 1979 ...

to Florida's Status of Women Commission, Ethics Commission, and Florida Constitution Revision Commission. Harrison was president of the Polk County

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

, and was on the board of the National League of Women Voters. Harrison also served as president of

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

of Florida. The

Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts The Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, also called the Harrison School for the Arts, is a high school in Lakeland, Florida, United States. The school was founded in 1989 and named after community member and art patro ...

in Lakeland was named for her in 1989. In 2011, the Polk County

presented her with an "Influential Woman of the 20th Century" award.

Death and legacy

Harrison died at

Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center is a non-profit, 892-bed hospital in Lakeland, Florida, owned and operated by Lakeland Regional Health. History Mrs. F.A. Morrell, upon her death in 1914, bequeathed a parcel of land on South Missouri Aven ...

after suffering a heart attack. She was 78. In February 2014, a sculpture was erected in her honor at the Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts.

References

1934 births 2013 deaths People from Des Moines, Iowa American women's rights activists Wellesley College alumni 20th-century American philanthropists Activists from Iowa {{US-activist-stub