Frances Barboza-Clark Papers

Frances Barboza-Clark, medical technologist, feminist, and political activist, was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on June 22, 1938, the daughter of Lawrence and Clementina Frances (Lopes) Barboza. She is divorced and has three children: Donald, Renee, and Edward.

In 1970, she received a diploma from the College of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey – Rutgers University (now known as the University of Medicine and Dentisty New Jersey.) She pursued a career at UMDNJ that included positions as manager of the Research Animal Facility vivarium from 1989 to 2000, chief technologist and vivarium supervisor from 1986 to 1989, senior medical technologist from 1981 to 1986, and medical technologist from 1975 to 1981. She retired in 2002. Other positions at UMDNJ included that of research assistant from 1972-1975, histology technician from 1969-1972, and chemistry lab technician from 1956-1957.

Barboza-Clark joined the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1973 and became active on the chapter, state, and national levels. Her wide-ranging involvement in NOW included:

• NOW-NJ: Served as delegate to national conferences from 1979 to 1982. Chaired the Election Committee for the 1982 NOW-NJ state conference and co-chaired the Credentials Committee and the Publicity Committee for the 1980 state conference. She was an active member of the Task Force to Combat Racism, ERA Task Force, Battered Women Task Force, and Women and the Military Task Force, as well as the State Committee for Task Force Review. She was also Distribution Coordinator for the NOW-NJ newsletter.

• NOW Middlesex County: Served as coordinator from 1979 to 1981 and from 1988 to 1989. She edited and contributed to the chapter newsletter The NOW Sound, chaired the chapter's ERA Task Force, and served on the chapter's Bylaws Committee and the Battered Women Task Force. She also organized and participated in chapter delegations to rallies and marches for ERA, reproductive rights, and gay and lesbian rights.

She was actively involved in the political campaigns of New Jersey local and state officials, including Frank Lautenberg's senatorial race and Assemblyman David Schwartz's assembly and congressional races. She worked in the presidential campaigns of Senators George McGovern and Edward Kennedy. In 1980, she was elected as Kennedy alternate delegate to the National Democratic Convention, and in 1984, she attended the convention as an elected delegate. From 1979 to 1986, Barboza-Clark was active in the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Information is from 1) Barboza-Clark's c.1982 candidate's statement in Series NOW National: National Board Campaign, Barboza-Clark Undated and from 2) "Frances Emily Barboza-Clark." Marquis Who's Who™. Marquis Who's Who, 2004. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: The Gale Group. 2004. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC