About Dr. Stella Boyd
 The IRCRC presents an annual award for service in honor of Dr. Stella Boyd, a caring physician and advocate for family planning services in southern Indiana.
Dr. Boyd was an obstetrician/gynecologist in Evansville in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. She not only provided compassionate care for thousands of women and families, but she also worked tirelessly to establish the Maternal Health League of Evansville, one of the first family planning agencies in the state. The League later became a Planned Parenthood affiliate.
In their efforts to provide family planning, Dr. Boyd and her colleagues faced significant financial challenges and substantial resistance from the community.
Her support of the moral right of women to use birth control led to a confrontation between her and a local Catholic hospital. According to the biography written by her son, Edwin, she never went back to St. Mary’s Hospital after that and refused to accept any patient that insisted upon going to that hospital.
Many of the other physicians who were involved in family planning at that time wanted their participation to be kept secret. However, Dr. Boyd’s name wasn’t secret. She was quite open about her work and vocal with her support. Her courage and dedication made a tremendous difference. In fact, people who were involved at that time say that “it was only through the spirit and dedication of Dr. Boyd that the League survived its first 20 years.”
Dr. Boyd was very well known in the community and had a reputation for being a “witty, crusty, no-nonsense doctor.” However, she was also known for her strong sense of compassion. She was especially dedicated to helping the poor. She frequently delivered babies and provided treatment free of charge. Her gravesite in Evansville is shared with two infants whose young unwed mothers could not afford burial after their babies died.
In her 35-year practice, Dr. Boyd delivered thousands of babies and treated thousands of women. Family members recall that on occasion she provided treatment to women who were seriously injured as a result of botched self-induced or back-alley abortions.
When her husband, who was also a physician, died in 1934, she was left to raise four young children. She became known for practical penny-pinching in both her home life and professional life, and she found creative ways to save time as a busy doctor and mother.
She often left her house wearing only a smock to allow her to quickly change into a delivery gown. For sterilizing purposes, she often boiled her rubber gloves in her office, but she would get so busy with other tasks that she would forget about them. They would burn and people would chuckle and say, “Dr. Boyd’s boiling her gloves again.”
Bettye Roberts, a long-time volunteer who later became Planned Parenthood director, said Dr. Boyd “used to say she got in the bathtub every evening with her clothes on and washed body and clothes at the same time, to save time. She was a character. But for many years she was the only reason we could stay open.”
Dr. Boyd was a member of the Presbyterian Church. A family member said that Stella had a “true Christian” philosophy of charity and generosity. She died in 1969 from cancer. Her four children are no longer living, but there are 29 grandchildren and great-children, many of whom still live in the southern Indiana area.
We have spoken with several members of the family— they say they are honored to have the IRCRC award named after Stella. Family members are very proud of her and her accomplishments.
We are thrilled to have such an extraordinary Hoosier to name our award after. Dr. Stella Boyd’s life and work exemplified great courage, dedication, compassion, and faith. Her life of service made a difference, not only in the lives she touched, but also in the lives of those who came later.
Information for this article came from
• “The History of Planned Parenthood
in Evansville, Indiana” by Roberta
Heiman
• Dr. Stella Boyd’s 1969 obituary
• “My Parents,” a biography by Edwin
Boyd
• Conversations with friends and family
members. |
2008 Faith & Freedom Award for Advocacy —Rep. Phil Hoy
Lindsey Mintz has served as the Director of Government Affairs of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Indianapolis for five years. Lindsey has guided the JCRC’s legislative advocacy, helping it to fulfill its mission of working to “build a just society.” With Lindsey’s leadership, JCRC has become one of the faith community’s strongest voices for reproductive rights in Indiana. She keeps her members informed, sends action alerts, and organizes lobby days. She has also provided active support to other organizations such as HAPA (the Health Access and Privacy Alliance), helping to enrich and strengthen Indiana’s pro-choice community. Lindsey is a member of Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation and is also on the Board of the Indiana Jewish Historical Society. In addition, Lindsey is the Vice President of the Indiana Coalition of Human Services.
Rabbi Dennis Sasso serves Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis along with his wife, Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso. They are the first husband and wife rabbinical couple in Jewish history. 
2008 Dr. Stella Boyd Award for Service—Susan Tyler, RN
Rev. Steve Clapp is President of Christian Community, a nonprofit research and program development organization headquartered in Fort Wayne which focuses on local churches and the communities they serve. Rev. Clapp is the author or coauthor of over 30 books on congregational life. Five years ago Rev. Clapp became a trailblazer when he spearheaded the Teenage Sexuality and Religion Research Project, a groundbreaking study of the sexual values and behaviors of teens in religious communities. Clapp reported the findings in Faith Matters: Teenagers, Religion & Sexuality and became a strong proponent of comprehensive sexuality education for youth. His recently published The Gift of Sexuality: Empowerment for Religious Teens, is a remarkable book written specifically for teens. The accompanying adult guide helps parents and congregational adult leaders. Rev. Clapp has led numerous workshops and has served as a consultant to congregations and religious educators in all faith groups. Throughout his work, he affirms and celebrates the diversity of humankind and believes that congregations have a responsibility to share God’s love with all people. Through his commitment to helping youth and the adults who work with them, Rev. Clapp’s work of service has had a positive effect on the lives of many.
Carolyn Meagher and Sue Ellen Braunlin were instrumental in establishing a comprehensive sexuality education program at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Indianapolis, the first UCC congregation in the nation to establish such a program for all ages. They also were involved in the design of the Our Whole Lives curriculum, ensuring that it included a strong faith dimension. In addition, they have provided outreach and assistance to several other Indiana congregations working to establish similar programs.