LWVAC is proud to have several Life Members—those who have been League members for 50 consecutive years! We’ve set out to interview them. Here we talk with Betty Jacobson. This interview was first published in the January 2019 LWVAC Voter.
Betty grew up in Savannah, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BFA and a certificate from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. (See her self-portrait in photo above.)
Betty and her husband Perry raised their three children in Newton, Massachusetts, then retired to Savannah when Perry sold his business. They moved to Gainesville several years ago to
be near their daughter Susan, who is a UF Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.
After college, Betty continued to paint and sculpt. However, she discovered that her true love was working the land. Betty returned to school, getting her certificate in Landscape and Environmental Design at Radcliffe College. Today Betty maintains two gardens at Oak Hammock.
When did you join the League?
I joined around 1955. The League met at a neighbor’s house. It was a good way to take a break from child-raising and meet intellectually stimulating people
What issues have moved you the most?
When I was group leader in our League in the 1950’s, a very big and very controversial issue was Zero Population Growth. It was something the world was addressing in the aftermath of World War II. The League chose it as a program which involved education and contraception. Many thought it was a prudent way to marshal the world’s resources. Many others thought that we had no right to impose our views on others.
What big changes have you seen in the landscape—political, the League, Gainesville?
I feel that today we are coddling our kids, even in college. We are trying to make things too safe. I thought it important to give my children independence --so they could learn and prepare for the world.
What advice or lessons learned would you pass on to our members?
When forming your opinion or taking a side on an issue, consider how the people on the other side feel.
