Betty Mary Smith Goetting
Betty Mary Smith Goetting

Betty Mary Smith Goetting

Betty Mary Smith Goetting (1897-1980) was a leading activist in the El Paso community and supported many social and civic projects, supported women's rights and participated in the birth control movement. Born in Jefferson, Texas, the family moved to El Paso in 1910. Goetting (then Smith) graduated from El Paso High School. She then worked as a librarian in the El Paso Public Library, where she became a close friend of the head librarian, Maud Durlin Sullivan. To continue her education she left El Paso but returned and married Charles A. Goetting. They had two sons. In the 1920s Betty Mary became very active in the community: Together with other women, she organized a book and a history club, and she was involved in the birth control movement. In 1937, along with other activists, Goetting opened the El Paso Mothers’ Health Center (later called Planned Parenthood Center of El Paso), and she was named its first president. In its early days, the Center offered birth control, educational materials, and marital counseling. Goetting also served in other organizations, such as the Woman’s Club of El Paso, the El Paso Community Chest Council, the El Paso County Historical Society and many more. Goetting received many awards for her dedication, amongst them the Margaret Sanger Award in 1966.

Area: Central / El Paso High

Collection: Stout-Feldman Studio Photographs

Source: University of Texas at El Paso Library - Special Collections Department

Reference ID: PH074-7860

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (68) ...

Cathedral High School - Irish Run 10 April 2014

Cathedral High School - Irish Run 10 April 2014 (71) Will ...

Cathedral High School - Irish Run 10 April 2014

Cathedral High School - Irish Run 10 April 2014 (72) Look the ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (73) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

Image shows elementary students in mariachi band at St. ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

ATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (76) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (77) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

ATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (78) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (79) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (80) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (81) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (81) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (83) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (85) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (86) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (87) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 (88) ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 ...

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017

CATHEDRAL - IRISH RUN APR, 12, 2014 Uploaded on 07.04.2017 ...

home.search_collection