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Eagle Forum Education & Legal is a 501(c)(3) institution. We publish research, explain legal questions, provide educational programs, and preserve the Phyllis Schlafly record.
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Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis Schlafly founded the education and legal defense organization in 1981.
Eagle Forum Education & Legal continues the educational and legal work she established. The Phyllis Schlafly Archive keeps her papers and publications open for study.
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DonateEst. 1981◆A 501(c)(3) institution◆St. Louis, Missouri
Eagle Forum
Education & Legal
Conservative and pro-family men and women participate in self-government and public policy so America remains a land of liberty, family integrity, and private enterprise.
- Founded
- 1981
- First Report
- 1967
- Archive
- Publication collection
- Classification
- 501(c)(3)
Mission
Enable citizens to shape public policy.
Eagle Forum Education & Legal’s mission is to enable conservative and pro-family men and women to participate in self-government and public policy so that America remains a land of individual liberty, family integrity, public and private virtue, and private enterprise.
Eagle Forum Education & Legal’s work shows that citizens can affect policy in Congress, state legislatures, city councils, and school boards. Citizens can also elect candidates and explain conservative and pro-family policies through the media.
- 0Documents preserved in the archive
- 0Years of continuous publication
- 0Year campaign that defeated the ERA
Note Eagle Forum Education & Legal conducts educational and legal work as a 501(c)(3) organization. Eagle Action is a separate 501(c)(4) organization.
Eagle Forum Education & Legal supports American sovereignty
- We oppose opening U.S. northern and southern borders to a North American Community, or Security and Prosperity Partnership, or any kind of economic integration.
- We oppose all encroachments against American sovereignty through United Nations treaties or conferences that try to impose global taxes, gun registration, energy restrictions, feminist goals, or regulation on our use of oceans.
- We support the deployment of an anti-ballistic missile defense to protect American lives.
Eagle Forum Education & Legal supports American identity
- We support establishing English as our official language.
- We support immediate border security to stop the entry of illegal aliens, illegal drugs, women seeking to give birth to “anchor babies,” Third World diseases, criminal gangs, and potential terrorists. We oppose all variations of amnesty and guest-worker visas. Our first task is to assimilate the millions of non-English-speaking foreignborn who are legal residents.
- We support reduction in income taxes and lower taxes on families with children.
- We support the private enterprise system and reject the false dogmas that tax-and-spend government or a global economy can solve our social and economic problems.
- We support putting control of health care spending in the hands of individuals by making health insurance tax deductible for all persons, not just for employers.
Eagle Forum Education & Legal supports the Constitution
- We support the sanctity of human life as a gift from our Creator, as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence.
- We oppose all efforts to call a new Constitutional Convention that could rewrite our U.S. Constitution.
- We support congressional action to curb the Imperial Judiciary by refusing to confirm activist judges and by withdrawing jurisdiction from the federal courts over areas where we don’t trust them, such as the Pledge of Allegiance, the Ten Commandments, the Boy Scouts, and the definition of marriage.
- We support the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, as guaranteed in the Second Amendment.
- We support making elections honest by requiring positive identification for voters, cleaning up registration rolls, and enforcing ballot security.
Eagle Forum Education & Legal supports marriage and family
- We support constitutional amendments and federal and state legislation to protect the institution of marriage and the equally important roles of father and mother. We honor the fulltime homemaker and her rights in joint income tax returns.
- We oppose the feminist goals of stereotyping men as a constant danger to women, while at the same time pushing women into military combat against foreign enemies.
- Lead by our founder Phyllis Schlafly, we successfully led the ten-year battle to defeat the misnamed Equal Rights Amendment with its hidden agenda of tax-funded abortions and same-sex marriages.
Eagle Forum Education & Legal supports traditional education
- Every child should be able to read by the end of the first grade and should be taught to read using phonics. We urge parents to teach their own children to read before they enter school. Reducing illiteracy is an Eagle Forum Education & Legal priority.
- We oppose and deplore the dumbing down of the academic curriculum through fads such as Outcome-Based Education and courses in self-esteem, diversity, and multiculturalism.
- We oppose liberal propaganda in the curriculum through global education and Political Correctness.
- We support parents’ rights to guide the education of their own children, to protect their children against immoral instruction and materials, and to homeschool without oppressive government regulations.
- We oppose the feminist goal of federally financed and regulated daycare.
- We were a primary factor in passing the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, and we strongly support its enforcement to protect children against psychological testing and mental-health screening without parental consent.
- We sponsor programs for Phyllis Schlafly Collegians, Teen Eagles, and Phyllis Schlafly Next Generation so they will be taught accurate information about American history and current issues.
Citizen-volunteers can affect government policies in Congress, state legislatures, city councils and school boards.
Phyllis SchlaflyFounder, 1924–2016
Meet the team.
Molly McCann Sanders
President
Mrs. Sanders is an accomplished appellate lawyer who clerked for the Hon. Edith H. Jones on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and was counsel with Sidney Powell on the defense of Gen. Michael Flynn, litigating against the Mueller team and the U.S. Department of Justice. More recently, while Of Counsel at the Binnall Law Group, Mrs. Sanders litigated multiple cases on behalf of President Donald J. Trump defending his presidential immunity (most prominently penning the appellate brief in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals for Blassingame v. Trump, 22-5069).
Multiple conservative news outlets have published Mrs. Sanders’ political op-eds, including The Federalist (where she was a Senior Contributor), The Epoch Times, Human Events, The American Mind, American Greatness, and others.
Mrs. Sanders is no stranger to Eagle Forum Education & Legal. Her mother, Noreen McCann, opened Phyllis’s first Washington, D.C. office in 1981 and was Phyllis’s lobbyist on Capitol Hill for much of the Reagan administration. Mrs. Sanders was raised in Eagle Forum, accompanying her mother to almost every Eagle Council and January leaders’ meetings, and she was active as a volunteer in Missouri Eagle Forum. She has spent years in grassroots politics and has held leadership positions in campaigns at the local, state, and federal level.
Ryan Hite
Director of Communications
Ryan Hite was hired by Phyllis Schlafly in 2013 and worked closely with her for several years, serving as research assistant and copy editor on her final three books, personal assistant on many publications, live radio producer, and as a writer/editor for her three-minute daily radio commentaries. Ryan attended the Republican National Convention in 2016 with Phyllis, assisting in running her media and ground operations from Cleveland, Ohio. In the years since Phyllis’s passing, Ryan has fulfilled roles in digital media for the organization, helping to launch PSE into the age of livestreaming, podcasting, and video production. Upon Phyllis’s passing, he served as the voice of the Phyllis Schlafly Report radio commentaries, a role he continues today. Ryan is also the host of a drive-time talk radio program (The Reckoning heard daily on the Real Talk Radio Network/St. Louis), and is the producer and host of the Unauthorized Caucus podcast.
Prior to Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, Ryan spent several years in managing communications and press for political campaigns, as well as advising small businesses and organizations on marketing and public relations strategy. His passion for politics and culture began with his involvement in Phyllis’s Teen Eagle program in Saint Louis, where we he came to know and love Phyllis Schlafly and her Eagles.
Ryan was proudly home educated K-12 and holds a degree in communications from Thomas Edison State University. He is a Saint Louis, Missouri native, where he resides with his wife and their children.
Gwen Kelley
Librarian
Gwen Kelley’s life was happily altered when she was handed Phyllis Schlafly’s book, Child Abuse in the Classroom. The information Phyllis published was a prime motivator for her and her husband Leo to homeschool their three children from kindergarten through high school. They are now young adults who are avid readers and thinkers.
Gwen therefore was very happy when she was hired by Phyllis Schlafly to work for the Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund in 2001 as the librarian of the archives. Gwen has worked on digitizing the thousands of videos and audiocassettes and processing the important Equal Rights Amendment series of papers as well as much of the valuable Rosalind Kress Haley Collection papers. Phyllis, true to her philosophy, let Gwen adjust her hours through the years in order to homeschool. Gwen maintains the library, prepares all the current publications from Phyllis Schlafly Eagles for the archives, and researches Phyllis’s work for many projects. She also contributes to social media.
Mason Mohon, Sr.
Asst. Director of Archives & Research
Hailing originally from Austin, Texas, Mason is the newest member of the Eagle team. Mason holds a degree in economics from Hillsdale College.
Mason discovered the Phyllis Schlafly Eagles while in college. He interned in the summer before his senior year and couldn’t wait to return after graduation. He leads archive digitization efforts and performs data analytics. Mason is in charge of leveraging AI for automation and archival enhancement.
Mason and his wife, along with their son, reside in St. Louis, MO.
Veronica Lademan Congressional Policy Analyst
Veronica Lademan joined the team in February, 2026. Prior to this, she worked as an editor for various publications, covering policy, politics, culture, and philosophy. She is a graduate of Wyoming Catholic College and resides in West Virginia.
History
1924 to today
Phyllis is born
A life of study and public work starts in St. Louis.
A national readership
A Choice Not an Echo reaches citizens across America.
The Report
The monthly Phyllis Schlafly Report starts publication.
The organization is founded
Education and legal defense receive a permanent institution.
The Center opens
The St. Louis center becomes a home for work and records.
Current programs
Publications, conferences, legal research, and archives.
Issues
Constitution, family, national sovereignty, and public policy.
Browse by subject
Constitution & Courts
Congress, courts, speech, religious liberty, patents, and constitutional structure.
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Family & Education
Family life, education, schools, parents, marriage, and the dignity of life.
+
National Sovereignty
Immigration, borders, foreign policy, national interest, and American independence.
+
American Government & Public Policy
Elections, the economy, federal power, media, and public policy ideas.
+
Phyllis Schlafly Archive
Publication archive
Digitized reports, columns, newsletters, books, and radio scripts.
documents collection span
- Report The case against ratifying the ERA
- Column What the Panama Canal Treaty gives away
- Books A Choice Not an Echo
All subjects
Publications
The Report, the Column, and the Education Reporter.
Media
Radio, podcasts, video, and a set of historical speeches.
Watch
1973 · ABC Issues and Answers
Phyllis Schlafly & Rep. Pat Schroeder Debate ERA
Best of Philly Speeches
A curated set of Phyllis Schlafly’s own speeches and televised appearances.
1973 · ABC Issues and Answers
Phyllis Schlafly & Rep. Pat Schroeder Debate ERA
Firing Line
Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr.: The Equal Rights Amendment
Televised debate
Phyllis Schlafly Debates Betty Friedan on ERA
Campus address
Political Activist Phyllis Schlafly Speaks to Citadel Cadets
2011 · Eagle Forum of California
Phyllis Schlafly Addresses the 2011 Eagle Forum of California Conference
2014 · Speech
Why Christians Must Vote! Goldwater, Reagan, and the E.R.A.
Programs & Events
Eagle Council, Collegians, internships, and public events.
Programs
National program
Eagle Council
Research, instruction, public leadership, and conversation in one annual gathering.
Student program
Collegians
Policy study, professional guidance, and public programs for college students.
Institutional program
Internships
Practical experience with research, writing, communications, and program work.
Upcoming events
Find the next program.
The current event calendar contains registration details, locations, and updates.
Upcoming event
View event details
More programs
Program calendar
Eagle Council, The Gathering, and other events.
Resources
Legal filings and research tools.
Legal
Filings and the congressional record.
The organization’s legal filings and its record before Congress.
Research tools
Research resources
Practical resources for continued research.
Search
1924–2026
Phyllis Schlafly & Her Legacy
Phyllis Schlafly’s books, campaigns, and organizations, 1924–2026.
Explore the archive
Timeline
Phyllis Schlafly’s life and work.
1924–2026
- Early Life1924–1964
- Early Career1945–1949
- Political Career1952–1966
- Organization1967–1981
- Legacy1993–2026
1924–1964
Early Life
Birth in St. Louis
Phyllis McAlpin Stewart is born in St. Louis, Missouri.
Her early years in Missouri and her Catholic upbringing later shape her political and cultural priorities.
Washington University and WWII Ordnance Plant
She starts ordnance plant work after she turns 18 on August 15, 1942. At about the same time, she transfers from Maryville College to Washington University.
She graduates with honors in August 1944 after slightly more than three years of college. At the plant, she tests .30- and .50-caliber rounds with rifles and machine guns. She investigates misfires and photographs tracer bullets for production quality control and weapons testing.
Master of Arts, Radcliffe College
She completes her Master of Arts in government at Radcliffe College, Harvard.
This training sharpens the research skills that she later applies to campaign work and political writing.
Marriage to John Fred Schlafly Jr.
Phyllis marries Fred Schlafly and settles in Alton, Illinois.
Fred had moved to Alton in 1934 after he graduated from Harvard Law School. Family life and public activity become closely connected as Phyllis raises their children and increases her political activity.
Family Milestones
Phyllis and Fred welcome six children: John, Bruce, Roger, Liza, Andrew, and Anne.
She balances family life with public engagement while she builds a growing conservative voice through publications and organization.
1945–1949
Early Career
Research and Financial-sector Communications Work
She works at the American Enterprise Institute. She then works as a research librarian and newsletter editor for St. Louis Union Trust and briefly for First National Bank.
She writes and promotes material about free enterprise and public policy. These skills later support her conservative organization.
1952–1966
Political Career
Republican Congressional Run
She wins the Republican primary. She loses the general election in a heavily Democratic district.
Her campaign centers on anti-communism and starts her national visibility in Republican circles.
Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation
She co-founds the Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation as an anti-communist Catholic education initiative.
The foundation expands her public organization against Soviet influence and strengthens her anti-communist network.
President, Illinois Federation of Republican Women
She leads the Illinois Federation of Republican Women for several years.
Her work builds strong ties to state Republican activity and creates a base for later national work.
Publishes A Choice Not an Echo
She self-publishes a major conservative political book that builds support for Barry Goldwater’s nomination.
The book becomes an influential campaign tool and establishes Phyllis as a persuasive national voice.
Co-authors The Gravediggers
She co-authors The Gravediggers with Rear Admiral Chester Ward.
Publishes Strike from Space
She releases another major collaboration with Chester Ward.
National Republican Women Leadership Bid
A newspaper editorial urges Republican women to choose Phyllis to lead the National Federation of Republican Women.
1967–1981
Organization
Eagle Trust Fund Launches The Phyllis Schlafly Report
She establishes Eagle Trust Fund and starts the monthly publication of The Phyllis Schlafly Report.
The newsletter becomes her most consistent platform for organization, communication, and conservative commentary.
Eagle Council Network Takes Shape
She starts annual Eagle Council gatherings that connect to the Stop ERA campaign.
These early conferences become a durable event network for broader citizen coordination.
Eagle Forum Founded
She founds Eagle Forum as a national volunteer pro-family organization. The first meeting occurs during Eagle Council in 1975.
Eagle Forum grows from the Stop ERA network into a long-running national policy movement.
Juris Doctor, Washington University
She earns a Juris Doctor while she maintains full-time public activity.
The law degree supports her policy work during a period of intensive organization and growth.
Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund
She founds the Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund.
She had used other 501(c)(3) organizations in the 1960s and 1970s. Those predecessor organizations no longer operate.
1993–2026
Legacy
Eagle Forum Education Center
The Eagle Forum Education Center becomes a permanent home for educational work and records.
The center receives the name Phyllis Schlafly Center in 2016. Eagle Forum Education & Legal maintains her archives there and uses the building as its active headquarters.
Relocation to St. Louis
After 44 years of marriage to her late husband, Fred, Phyllis moves her home and office to St. Louis.
Ed Martin Named Phyllis's Successor
Phyllis names Ed Martin as her successor and prepares her organizations for a leadership transition.
Endorses Donald Trump for President
Phyllis publicly endorses Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and brings her grassroots conservative authority to his campaign.
The endorsement draws a large voting base toward Trump instead of Ted Cruz. The decision shows her continuing political vision, courage, and independence.
Founds Phyllis Schlafly Eagles
She establishes Phyllis Schlafly Eagles as a new 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that carries her grassroots political work forward.
The separate 501(c)(4) organization complements the 501(c)(3) educational organization. It conducts direct advocacy and political work that the educational organization cannot conduct.
Passing of Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis dies at age 92.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump attend her funeral at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.
Ed Martin Joins the Trump Administration
Ed Martin leaves his role as president of Eagle Forum Education & Legal and Phyllis Schlafly Eagles to join the Trump administration.
John Schlafly starts to consider the next leader for Phyllis’s organizations.
Molly McCann Sanders Elected President of Eagle Forum Education & Legal
John Schlafly presents Molly McCann Sanders to the board. The board elects her by unanimous vote on November 1, 2025.
Sanders is a constitutional lawyer and a longtime voice in the America First movement. She prepares a new era for the Eagle organizations and Phyllis’s legacy.
Molly McCann Sanders Appointed President of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles
Sanders is appointed president of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, the separate 501(c)(4) organization that Phyllis founded in 2016.
Phyllis Schlafly Eagles Rebrands as Eagle Action
Phyllis Schlafly Eagles adopts the Eagle Action name under Molly McCann Sanders’s leadership and starts a new chapter.
The public name identifies the separate 501(c)(4) organization’s current political advocacy and focus on direct action.
Eagle Action Launches Abigail Circles
Eagle Action starts Abigail Circles as a women’s network for friendship, community, and civic action.
The network uses the local relationships and civic action that Phyllis and her supporters used to change the course of American history.
Primary sources
Digital archive
Read Phyllis Schlafly’s reports, columns, books, broadcasts, and institutional records.
Open the archive