Mike Schwartz (activist)

Michael Schwartz (1950 – February 3, 2013) was an American leader in the United States anti-abortion movement, a co-founder of the March for Life, and was a founding chairman of the Planned Parenthood watchdog organization Life Decisions International. In 1995, Schwartz was named executive director of the House Family Congressional Caucus. He also worked as a vice president for Concerned Women for America. He was a member of Operation Rescue and Chief of Staff to Senator Tom Coburn until 2000, and from 2004 to 2012. In November 2012, Schwartz was no longer able to fulfill his duties because of his advancing illness and Senator Tom Coburn paid tribute to Schwartz on the Senate floor as "one of the kindest, gentlest people anyone has ever met".

Activism

St. Stephen Martyr Church DC

Michael Schwartz became a member of the Sons of Thunder (a name chosen in reference to the Gospel of Mark 3:14-19) at the University of Dallas in 1969. He traveled to DC from Texas with other members of the Sons of Thunder at the first Pro-Life March in Washington, DC on June 6, 1970. This activism was not initiated by Nellie Gray but by the brother-in-law of William F. Buckley and the founding editor of Triumph (magazine), a convert to the Roman Catholic faith, L. Brent Bozell Jr., who launched the magazine as the "Catholic version" of his brother-in-law's Conservative political publication the National Review.

Michael Schwartz (fourth from right) listening to L Brent Bozell Jr speak at the rally at GW Circle on June 6, 1970

Mike says Triumph (magazine), "became the seedbed for the pro-life movement of the 1960s." Michael Schwartz and his Triumph-enthused fellow students at the University of Dallas formed the Sons of Thunder, one of the first anti-abortion college student groups in America. They promptly occupied a Planned Parenthood facility in Dallas and promptly got arrested. For his whole professional life, Mike was at the center of all the most important anti-abortion activities. With Nellie Gray and others, he founded what became the March for Life.

— The Catholic Thing,

When the US Catholic Bishops on April 22, 1970 officially avoided active leadership in dealing with the incremental legalization of abortion in CA, NY and DC, L. Brent Bozell Jr. announced that, as the Second Vatican Council or Vatican II had recommended, it was time for some of the laity to initiate serious Catholic Action, so Bozell scheduled his Catholic Action for June 6, 1970. Students, like Michael's group from Dallas, Triumph (magazine) staff and contributing writers, together with families and subscribers from the Washington Metro area, New England and various other States came to Washington, DC and met at St Stephen Catholic Church on Pennsylvania Avenue for Mass (liturgy), then gathered on George Washington Circle for a rally afterwards. Photos of the event included L. Brent Bozell Jr., Chris and Ann Bozell, Michael Schwartz and others at this Lay Catholic Action in front page headline and other news articles on June 6 and 7, 1970 in the Evening edition of The Washington Star and the Sunday edition of The Washington Post.

Biography

Michael Schwartz's upbringing in Philadelphia was marked by socioeconomic challenges and familial instability: "My father was a violent alcoholic who engaged in infidelity and physical abuse towards my mother. I vividly recall the numerous instances of his aggression. He often introduced me to his partners, and I began driving at the tender age of seven to transport him to their residences. His behavior became an enduring reference point for the man I aspired not to emulate." This tumultuous environment served as a catalyst for the development of his profound and unwavering faith: "I believe I have been afforded numerous opportunities; my life has been remarkably blessed." The trajectory of his ideological orientation was likely influenced when a peer presented him with a copy of National Review, which illuminated his conservative beliefs. This pivotal moment led him to become a charter subscriber to the publication, solidifying his commitment to conservative thought. Triumph (magazine).[1]

In 2011, Michael Schwartz received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. After a courageous battle with the disease, he passed away on February 3, 2013, surrounded by his wife, children, and grandchildren.