Olivia Procter Maynard was born on June 24, 1936 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She later moved to Flint, Michigan. She received a Bachelor's degree in political science from George Washington University 1958 and a Master's Degree in social work from the University of Michigan in 1971.
Active in the state Democratic Party beginning in 1964, Maynard has served as recording secretary 1967-1971; vice chair 1971-1979; and from 1979 to 1983 as party chair, the first woman to hold this office. In 1983, Governor Blanchard named her to head the Office of Services to the Aging. She ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor in 1978 and 1990.
Maynard next worked as an adjunct professor and instructor of aging policy at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and the Lansing Community College Center for Aging Education. She was also the founder and president of Michigan Prospect, a progressive public policy institute, and she served on the Federal Council on Aging during the Clinton administration. She has been a Regent at the University of Michigan since 1996.
From the guide to the Olivia Maynard papers, 1976-1982, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
