Arvonne Fraser

Arvonne S. Fraser (born September 1, 1925), is Senior Fellow Emerita at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota and from 1993-1994 was the US Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

She was born in Lamberton, Minnesota to parents Orland Delbert and Phyllis Du Frene Skelton.

In 1948, she received her bachelor of arts from the University of Minnesota.

She began her career in Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) politics. She was active in the 20th century women's movement, serving as national president of Women's Equity Action League from 1972 to 1974 and also served as the first director of the WEAL Fund Intern Program. She was director of the Office of Women in Development at the US Agency for International Development from 1977 to 1981 after serving as Counselor, Office of Presidential Personnel in the Jimmy Carter administration and, earlier, as Upper Midwest Director of the Carter for President campaign. She was a senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota from 1982 to 1994 and is now senior fellow emerita. At the Humphrey Institute (now the Humphrey School), she directed the International Women's Rights Action Project (IWRAW) and cofounded the school's Center on Women and Public Policy.

Fraser ran for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota in 1986. In 1979, she received the Honorary Doctor of Laws from Macalester College. In 2007, she received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota. In 1992, she received a Resourceful Woman Award for women's human rights from the Tides Foundation. In 1995, she received the Prominent Women in International Law, Women's Interest Group, American Society of International Law, the first non-lawyer to receive this award.

From 1993 to 1994 she served as US Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

She married Perry Morgan in 1946; they divorced in 1949. In 1950, she married Donald M. Fraser, and the couple had six children (Thomas, Mary, John, Lois, Anne, and Jean) and seven grandchildren.

In 1954 her husband was elected to the Minnesota Senate and served until 1962, when he was elected to represent Minnesota's 5th congressional district in Washington, DC. He served there from 1963 to 1979.

Books

• Fraser, Arvonne (1970). Government. Minneapolis: Dillon Press. ISBN 9780875180236. 
• Fraser, Arvonne (1974). Office occupations. Minneapolis: Dillon Press. ISBN 9780875180359. 
• Fraser, Arvonne; Huston, Perdita (1979). Third world women speak out: interviews in six countries on change, development, and basic needs. New York London etc: Praeger for the Overseas Development Council. ISBN 9780030521164. 
• Fraser, Arvonne (1987). The U.N. Decade for Women: documents and dialogue. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. ISBN 9780813372495. 
• Fraser, Arvonne; Tinker, Irene (2004). Developing power: how women transformed international development. New York: Feminist Press at the City University of New York. ISBN 9781558614840. 
• Fraser, Arvonne (2007). She's no lady: politics, family, and international feminism. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Nodin Press. ISBN 9781932472646. 

Chapters in books

• Fraser, Arvonne S. (2001), "Becoming human: the origins and development of women's human rights", in Agosín, Marjorie, Women, gender, and human rights: a global perspective, New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, pp. 15–64, ISBN 9780813529837  Also available online through the University of Minnesota, Human Rights Library.

Journal articles

• Fraser, Arvonne S. (November 1999). "Becoming human: the origins and development of women's human rights". Human Rights Quarterly. Project MUSE: Johns Hopkins University Press. 21 (4): 853–906. doi:10.1353/hrq.1999.0050.  Also available online through the University of Minnesota, Human Rights Library.

Papers

• Fraser, Arvonne S.; Kazantzis, Miranda (1992). CEDAW #11: The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, The Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, and violence against women. 301 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455: International Women's Rights Action Watch. 
• "Collection finding aids: ARVONNE S. FRASER: an inventory of her papers at the Minnesota Historical Society" (Personal papers pertaining to the life, voluntary activities, and professional career of a Minneapolis feminist: 75 cubic feet (75 boxes)). Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society. 1947-1999 (bulk 1970-1994).