Jane Fraser

Jane Fraser with Colin Firth

Jane Fraser (born 1942) is an American philanthropist, author, editor, businesswoman and the President of The Stuttering Foundation of America, a non-profit charitable organization working toward the prevention and improved treatment of stuttering.

Early life

Fraser was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1942. Her father, Malcolm Fraser, was one of the founders of Genuine Parts Company and later founded the Stuttering Foundation of America after living with stuttering his entire life.

In 1964, Fraser received her bachelor's degree in Russian and linguistics from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Fraser later attended the University of Strasbourg in France receiving her M.S in Russian in 1966.

She worked as an interpreter and translator for the National Assembly of France in Paris, France as well as served as editor and translator for the Institut Gustave Roussy until 1980.[1]

President of the Stuttering Foundation of America

Beginning in 1981, Fraser has served as President of the Stuttering Foundation of America.

Since the beginning of her presidency, the foundation's endowment has grown from $3,000,000 to $17,000,000. The Stuttering Foundation has also added a toll-free hotline and website. Under Fraser’s presidency, the Foundation has published 24 books and 13 brochures for stutterers.[1]

Author and Editor

Fraser co-authored “If Your Child Stutters: A Guide for Parents” for the Stuttering Foundation in 1988.[2]

She also edited “Counseling Stutterers” in 1981 and “Stuttering Therapy: Transfer and Maintenance” in 1982.[3]

Other Affiliations

Fraser served as Member of the Advisory Council for the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communicative Disorders, at the National Institutes of Health from 1996 until 2000.[4]

She also was a member of the Board of Trustees for Hamilton College from 1991 until 1997.[5]

She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization.[4]

In addition, she serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Institute for Effective Governance in Washington D.C.[6]

Awards and Honors

Fraser was named Executive of the Year by the Non-Profit Times for 2008-2009.[7]

She was also the recipient of the Outstanding Service Award given by the International Stuttering Association in 2007.[4]

References