Person in history
Cecile Richards
Cecile Richards, American activist and former Planned Parenthood president (born 1957)
Life at a glance
- Died
- 2025 · January 20
Their story
Who they were
Cecile Richards was an American activist who served as the president of both the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliated Planned Parenthood Action Fund from 2006 to 2018. In 2010, Richards was elected to the Ford Foundation board of trustees. In spring 2019, Richards co-founded Supermajority, a women's political action group.
Early life
Early life Richards was born in Waco, Texas , on July 15, 1957, the daughter of Ann Richards ( née Willis), an American politician and activist who served as governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. [ 1 ] Her father, David Richards, [ 2 ] practiced law, and built a practice dealing with civil-rights plaintiffs, newspapers, and labor unions. He also won several landmark cases, including a voting-rights lawsuit that went to the Supreme Court. [ 3 ] Cecile Richards was raised in Dallas and Austin,
Path and career
Career Richards's parents were immersed in political activism from her early years on. She opposed the Vietnam War in her youth and was sent home from school for wearing a black armband. [ 1 ] In January 1971, at the age of 13, she was named an honorary page to the 62nd Texas State Legislature. At the age of 16, she helped her mother campaign for Sarah Weddington , the attorney who won Roe v. Wade , in her bid for the Texas state legislature. [ 2 ] After graduating college,
Why this date
Cecile Richards appears on our January 20 calendar for 2025 as a death entry.
Sources
Cite this page
“Cecile Richards”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/cecile-richards, accessed October 27, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about Cecile Richards
When did Cecile Richards die?
January 20 2025.
Who else was born on this day?
The date page lists everyone we hold for that calendar day.
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