History of PPGI

On a spring day in the depths of the Great Depression, a dozen Des Moines women pledged their support for the formation of the Iowa Maternal Health League. In that same year, 1934, a group of women in Cedar Falls founded the Birth Control League and another group in Sioux City founded the Maternal health and Birth Control League.

By 1942, all three leagues had affiliated with Planned Parenthood's predecessor, the Birth Control Federation of America, which soon changed its name to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. In 1943, the Des Moines group's name was changed to the Planned Parenthood Committee of Des Moines, which became Planned Parenthood of Iowa in 1965. As more centers joined, the name became Planned Parenthood of Mid-Iowa, and, with a merger with the Sioux City group in 1991, Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa.

In December 1934, the Des Moines founders opened a birth control clinic in a downtown office building and served clients two hours a week. Two years later, the clinic was open every weekday afternoon and had provided 782 mothers with free services.

Education has always been an important part of Planned Parenthood's mission. In 1939, the Des Moines founders bought a "projection machine" for $50 on which they showed pertinent birth control films to patients. In 1944, according to a history written by one of its members, the Des Moines league "planned to gather a good shelf of literature covering subjects of interest to patients and hand it out on their visits to the clinic."

By 1983, the agency had twice outgrown its headquarters in Victorian-age houses on Des Moines' near-northwest side, and the building at 851 19th St. was constructed to house a clinic as well as administrative offices. In 2005, the agency once again outgrew its administrative building and moved to the new Elizabeth Bates Cowles Center at 1171 Seventh St. in Des Moines. This move then made the Elizabeth & David Kruidenier Center for Education & Advocacy possible in 2007; this center now resides on the first floor of the administrative offices.

Today, Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa serves women and their families in 85 Iowa counties and three counties in Illinois through 17 medical centers and an education and resource center, offering accessible, affordable reproductive health care and education and advocacy for reproductive rights. Planned Parenthood continues in the tradition of responsible choice that began with the visionary leadership and active volunteerism of its founders.

PPGI centers and the year in which each opened:

• Ames, 1974
• Ankeny, 2007
• Cedar Falls, 1934 (as the Birth Control League of Cedar Falls; PPGI center opened in 1986).
• Creston, 1976
• Des Moines Central, 1934. The Central Center closed in 2007 but moved its operations to the new Susan Knapp Health Center (2007).
• Des Moines South, 1988. The South Center closed in 2004 but moved to the new Joseph F. Rosenfield Center (2004).
• Des Moines West, 1982
• Education & Resource Center, 1971 (as a library at the Des Moines Central Center; relocated to different downtown locations in 1993 and 1998, moved back to Des Moines Central Center in 2003 and has now settled into the new Kruidenier Center with the expanded Mary Louise Smith Resource Center in 2007).
• Fort Dodge, 1978
• Indianola, 1971, closed in 2003.
• Iowa City, 1990
• Joseph F. Rosenfield Center, (Des Moines), 2004.
• Knoxville, 1988
• Le Mars, 1977 (as part of Sioux City Planned Parenthood; 1991 became part of PPGI), closed in 2004.
• Newton, 1971
• Quad Cities (Bettendorf), 1999
• Red Oak, 1975
• Sioux City, 1934 (as Maternal Health League); 1991 merged with PPGI.
• Spencer, 1974
• Storm Lake, 1985
• Susan Knapp Health Center, (Des Moines), 2007.