Rose, Florence

Public relations specialist; Executive secretary; Director, Meals for Millions; Birth control activist; Lobbyist.

Born 1903; attended Hunter College and Columbia University. From 1923 to 1929, she worked in secretarial/sales for Larabee Flour Mills Corp.; was administrative assistant to New York Citizens' Street Traffic Committee, 1929-1930, and she was Margaret Sanger's personal secretary and administrative assistant from 1930 to 1943. In addition, she did public relations work for the National Committee on Federal Legislation for Birth Control, 1930-1937; the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau Education Department, 1937-1939; and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 1939 to 1943, including the National Negro Education Program and the National Clergyman's Advisory Council. In 1944 she was research assistant to Ethyl Clyde and was employed at Holland-Rantos Co., a contraceptives manufacturer. She worked for Pearl Buck's East-West Foundation from 1946-1965, and co-directed Meals for Millions, which promoted improved nutrition in underdeveloped countries. Florence Rose suffered from depression during much of her adult life and in 1969 she committed suicide.