ABSTRACT
The leaders of the second-wave feminist movement, particularly those who were drawn to structured groups such as National Organization for Women (NOW), were for the most part skilled organization builders, who honed their skills in civic and professional associations, labor unions, and local Democratic Party committees. The founders of Philadelphia NOW each put their personal stamp on the organization. The founder of Philadelphia NOW, Ernesta Drinker Ballard, born in 1920 into a prominent Philadelphia family, was clearly not the typical founder of a local NOW chapter. NOW gave Ferson the courage to pursue her goals and provided validation for her choices. Ferson in turn was loyal to NOW and, convinced that strong organizations were essential to advancing the feminist agenda, she devoted considerable time and energy to organization building. NOW shared the distrust of electoral politics, pervasive among the progressive movements in the late 1960s and 1970s.
