Nadine Strossen | |
|---|---|
 Strossen in 2007 | |
| Born | (1950-08-18)August 18, 1950 (age 74) Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Radcliffe College (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | |
| 6th President of the American Civil Liberties Union | |
| In office February 1991 – October 18, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Norman Dorsen |
| Succeeded by | Susan Herman |
Nadine Strossen (born August 18, 1950) is an American legal scholar and civil liberties activist who served as the president of theAmerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) from 1991 to 2008. A liberal feminist, she was the first woman to lead the ACLU.[1] A professor atNew York Law School, Strossen is a member of theCouncil on Foreign Relations[2] and other professional organizations.
Strossen was born inJersey City, New Jersey, on August 18, 1950.[3] Her maternal grandfather was an immigrant to the United States fromYugoslavia and was aconscientious objector duringWorld War I, causing him to bepublicly humiliated at the courthouse inHudson County. Strossen's father, Woodrow J. Strossen, was born in Germany, where he was labeled as ahalf-Jew and spoke againstNazism.[4] He was removed from school and placed in theBuchenwald concentration camp until being liberated by American troops. Strossen's mother, a member of theNational Organization for Women and supporter ofPlanned Parenthood, was an advocate forwomen's rights.[5][6]
When she was eight years old, Strossen's family moved toHopkins, Minnesota.[3] As a child, she frequented the local public library.[7] She initially considered pursuing a career as a teacher; while attending high school in Hopkins, Strossen distinguished herself as a member of the school's debate team, of which she was the only girl.[3][8] In 1968, Strossen enrolled atRadcliffe College, where she was a resident of Holmes Hall (now a part ofPforzheimer House) before moving toWinthrop House in 1970. She met her husband,Eli Noam, while they were both at Harvard when he was a tutor inAdams House.[9]
In addition to her involvement in debate, Strossen became interested infeminism as an undergraduate student.[3] She subscribed to a political philosophy ofcivil libertarianism, later recalling that "the rallying cries were reproductive freedom and the anti-war movement".[9] She graduated in 1972 with aBachelor of Arts (B.A.) in history and literature as aNational Merit Scholar along with membership inPhi Beta Kappa.[10] Strossen then attendedHarvard Law School, becoming an editor of theHarvard Law Review, and obtaining herJuris Doctor (J.D.),magna cum laude, in 1975.[11][12] After graduating, she was alaw clerk for a year at theMinnesota Supreme Court.[3]
Strossen was an attorney in private practice, first inMinneapolis, Minnesota, from 1976 to 1978, then inNew York City atSullivan & Cromwell from 1978 to 1984.[8] She left practicing to begin teaching as an associate professor of clinical law at theNew York Law School from 1984 until 1988.[10] Strossen specialized in constitutional law, federal courts, and human rights.[3]
In 1983, Strossen joined the national board of directors of theAmerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), then its national executive committee in 1985. From 1986 to 1991, she served as the organization'sgeneral counsel.[10] In the spring of 1990, ACLU presidentNorman Dorsen announced that he would be stepping down, and Strossen emerged as one of four candidates to assume the position, winning on the second ballot.[13]
In 1991, Strossen became the first female president of the American Civil Liberties Union.[3] She was the sixth person to have served in the position.[7] As president, Strossen made over 200 public presentations. In May 2008, she announced her resignation. On October 18, 2008, the ACLU selectedSusan Herman, a constitutional law professor atBrooklyn Law School in New York, to replace her.[14]
She appeared in the 2000 docudramaDirty Pictures.[15] In October 2001, Strossen made her theater debut as the guest star inEve Ensler's play,The Vagina Monologues at theNational Theatre in Washington, D.C.[16]
Having been appointed as the chairedJohn Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law in 2015, she teachesconstitutional law andhuman rights.[17]
In 2019, her bookHate: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship was chosen as theWashington University in St. Louis Common Reading book.[18] On August 26, Strossen delivered a keynote address at the university.[19] On April 12, 2021, in "shaping Opinion", Strossen and hostTim O'Brien discussed her opinions and possible solutions on countering harmful or "hate speech" other than censoring it, as she sets out in her book.[20]
Strossen spoke at the inaugural gala for theFoundation for Individual Rights and Expression in New York City in April 2023.[21]
Strossen is married toEli Noam, a professor atColumbia Business School.[26] They married in 1980.[9] When she grew up, Strossen's mother prevented her from playing with dolls, an experience which she later suggested to have contributed in her choice not to have children.[8]
