Cedric Adams, Minnesota's legendary newspaper columnist and well-known radio personality, proved an invaluable ally to those trying to improve the system.
In the early 1950s, the Department of Public Welfare enlisted his help to raise funds to purchase basic equipment and improve living conditions in the hospitals.
As director of guardianship for the state, Mildred Thomson recognized the formidable power parents had as advocates. Working closely with local groups, she played a key role in improving conditions and care for people with developmental disabilities from 1924 to 1959.
In addition to spending 35 years as Minnesota's director of guardianship, she was president of the nation's largest professional organization on mental deficiency and helped develop a national association for parents of children with developmental disabilities.
Mildred Thomson: Bringing Parents Together
Cedric Adams: An invaluable ally
Photo permission granted by the
Star Tribune/Minneapolis-St. Paul (2009)