PGM: The Making of an Abortion Icon

This thesis examines the life of celebrated abortion rights activist (and my grandmother) Patricia Goyette Miller. Utilizing a variety of sources both informal and formal, this project offers a rare multilayered look into the personal, public, and professional life of an activist. The first section centers my relationship to Miller in both familial and generational frameworks and explores larger questions of archival and biographical work. The second section explores the life of Miller from childhood until today, considering how she came to commit the majority of her life to abortion rights activism in Colorado and Pennsylvania. The final section pivots towards the future, applying lessons and strategies from Miller?s life to consider the best next steps forward in this fraught and dangerous political climate.