Foster Gunnison Jr. facts for kids

Foster Gunnison Jr. (1925–1994) was an American activist. He worked for equal rights for all people. He also collected a large amount of history about these efforts. This collection is now at the University of Connecticut.

Early Life and Education

Foster Gunnison Jr. was born in 1925. His hometown was Bronxville, New York. His father, Foster Gunnison Sr., helped start the prefabricated home industry. This means homes that are built in parts and then put together.

Foster Jr. went to Haverford College first. He then moved to Columbia University. He finished his studies there in 1949. Later, in 1955, he moved to Connecticut. He studied at Trinity College. There, he earned two master's degrees. These were in psychology and philosophy.

Working for Equal Rights

Gunnison joined a group called the Mattachine Society in 1964. This group worked for equal rights for people. From 1965 to 1969, he collected many important papers. These included records from groups like the North American Conference of Homophile Organizations (NACHO). He also collected papers from the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations (ERCHO).

His collection also included papers from other activists. He gathered items like old posters and magazines. He even kept his own letters. Gunnison started his own group too. It was called the Institute for Social Ethics. He wrote a booklet in 1967. It was titled An Introduction to the Homophile Movement.

Later Interests

In the 1970s, Gunnison became interested in other causes. He started a group called the American Puffer Alliance in 1984. This group worked for smokers' rights.

His Legacy

Foster Gunnison Jr. passed away in January 1994. He was 68 years old. His family gave his important collection to the University of Connecticut. This collection helps us learn about the history of equal rights efforts.