Marin Women's Hall of Fame

Virginia Thompson Franklin
By Nancy Nakai (1990) 

      In 1963, when Assemblymember Leo Ryan came to Paradise, California to conduct a series of public hearings, what he received was a brief education on the misuse of power.  For six days, the Congressman heard testimony on whether or not a social studies teacher had the right to teach about all forms of government. Specifically, if a high school social studies teacher had the right to inform students not only about democracy, but also about totalitarianism and communism.  The press from around the state was there.  A representative from “Life” magazine, having picked up the story from the local news services, was to visit her classroom for two weeks and give the debate national coverage.

    Some of the parents in Paradise felt that student instruction in communism meant that the teacher was a dangerous subversive.  They wrote letters to the local newspaper editor libeling the teacher.  They demanded that the school board fire the teacher.  The local chapter of the John Birch Society was joined by the local chapter of the American Legion to rid the teacher from their midst.  One parent even had his student hide a tape recorder in a hollowed-out book to record what the teacher was “really saying”.  Throughout this entire ordeal, the teacher continued to reiterate what she had always believed: that students must be well informed about the world around them.  That knowledge of different countries, different customs, and different forms of government could lead to a greater appreciation of the benefits of a democratic form of government.

     The irony of all of this was that for her innovative program of having each of her high school seniors performing volunteer work at the local county offices, her principal had recommended her for the American Legion’s Freedom Foundation Award.  She received the award, although the American Legion withheld the medal until after the trial was over.  She was later to receive the Dreyfus Award for her work on behalf of civil liberties.

     By the end of the public hearings, Assemblymen Ryan pronounced that the only subversives in Paradise were the parents who tried so hard to limit the scope of the social studies curriculum.  He promptly invited the senior class, the teacher, Virginia Franklin, (and others) to the Democratic Party convention in Long Beach so that they could witness the democratic process first hand.  Later, Mrs. Franklin was to successfully sue members of the John Birch Society for defamation of character (one of only a few to ever win a case against them).

    The struggle against censorship was a  bittersweet experience for Virginia Franklin.   And one which she probably never anticipated she would have to fight.     While  she  has  had  an  interest in government  all  her  life,  politics  and  government were never subjects discussed with her parents during childhood.  "In fact," Ms. Franklin claims, "my mother never voted!"

     Born in  San Francisco in 1923, she and her fraternal twin sister spent their early years in Pacific Heights playing  with separate groups  of  friends.    Virginia  remembers  loving  to  read and enjoying journeys off to  the movie  theater.   One of Virginia's most vivid  childhood memory  is that  of playing tennis with her sister at the Palace of Fine Arts shortly  after it  was re-built (it had   indoor tennis  courts).   Sneaking into the bathroom, she and her sister stayed until the  facility was  locked up  for the evening.  They next proceeded to enjoy an entire night of tennis.  Their mother never knew -  they  had  told  her  they  were  at a slumber party.

    As a  young girl, Virginia dreamed of becoming a teacher.  It has always been her professional ambition.  Virginia states  that her father was  always adamant  about the  value of a good education.  He never tolerated any school grades  below  an  "A".     (He also always  assumed  that  Virginia  would attend UC Berkeley when it came time for college.)  As  a  teenager  she  was  interested in politics, and was always curious about the history and use of the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment to the U.S.  Constitution.

    In  1937,   she  ran  for   student  council representative for her homeroom at Lowell High  School and  won.   She was  elected each year thereafter until graduation in 1940.  Virginia went onto to college to prepare for her teaching career.  Although she was only sixteen at the time (having skipped a grade in both  elementary school  and high school), she hurried through the undergraduate program.  The United  States was  in the middle of World War II and there was a desperate teacher shortage.  As a new and young teacher   (only nineteen),  she remembers  her first day of  work.   One of  her students  walked up to her before she began class and said, "I thought all witches had black hair." Not an auspicious  start, but  then no amount of discouragement would ever stop her.

    In 1946, Virginia married   a  political   science  professor named Benjamin  Franklin.    She  had  met  him  while teaching at Napa Community College,  and their  common interest  in government and politics had  helped to fuel the friendship that blossomed.  They moved to Chico, California, where he had a new teaching post within the state college system. 

    Soon there were two sons to raise, Warren  and John.  As a mother, she enjoyed instilling in her  boys  the  value  of creativity.  She taught them about government,  freedom  and democracy and even took them to a  conference  on   civil  liberties.     She   provided  them  with opportunities  to  do  what  interested  them and supported their efforts.  Of all of her numerous accomplishments, Ms. Franklin is the most  proud of  her sons.   She  was able  to manage the many-demands on her time, having developed over the years the habit of maintaining a high energy level on just four hours of sleep.

     After her  experience in  Paradise, Virginia decided to return to school to get her doctorate in education.  She figured  that high school teaching  jobs would be difficult to find after all of the publicity in her case.  The Paradise experience  had additional ramifications.  The stress of the  crank telephone calls, press etc.,  caused  the  break-up  of her twenty-two year marriage.  Thus, when she relocated to Berkeley to attend  UC, her  two sons  accompanied her.   Moving teenagers from the  Paradise/Chico area  to Berkeley  at the  height of the "hippie" movement was not an easy transition.

    In 1967, Virginia moved to Marin and began teaching at San Rafael High School. But she was to find that her Paradise experience was to follow her again.  Certain members of  the Elks  Club began to harass  her   and  have  deleterious comments  printed  in  the newspaper.  Virginia was  forced  to sue  them.     The  case was eventually settled in her favor.

    As   a   teacher,   Virginia  created  many  innovative  teaching techniques.    The  "Close-Up  Program"  she  developed  took her students beyond  just visiting the state legislature and even the U.S. Congress,  instead, she encouraged  her students  read about and  lobby  for  specific  legislation,  such as the uniform poll closing bill.  Under her guidance, students also wrote and helped to introduce  two bills  in Congress. To finance these trips, she has organized  hundreds  of  student  fundraisers  (car  washes, auctions,  etc.)  and  has  solicited business sponsorships.  She taught her students how  to  analyze  election  propaganda, smear tactics,  etc.  and  had  her student query the politicians about them.  She conducted  "mock  trials"  and  took  her  students on visits  to  the  courts.    She  initiated  the  "Mock  Political Convention" for all high  schools in  Marin for  every year there was a  national convention  and election.   In 1982 she was named "Outstanding Teacher of the Year" (for high school)  by the Marin Education Foundation.

    This  master  teacher  taught  the  values of democracy, not just "about" democracy.  Those values?:  1) that people by  nature are good; 2)  that in  a democracy  we must  to work  for the general welfare of all the  people; and  3) that  in order  to preserve a democracy we  must have  laws which  promote and encourage voting by all eligible citizens.   She  also  feels  strongly  about the public financing  of campaigns to enable ordinary citizens to run on clearly defined issues.  Ms. Franklin was  to inspire students at San  Rafael High  for over  seventeen years.   As Marin County Superintendent  of  Schools,  Nancy  Dalton,  stated:   "Virginia Franklin understands teaching and learning through process better than any other educator."

    She has received  additional education honors,   such   as   the   Valley  Forge  Classroom  Medal,  The Constitutional Rights Foundation Award, the ACLU's "Outstanding Teacher  of  the  Bill   of  Rights"   Award  and   the  Close-Up Foundation's "Outstanding Teacher" Award.

     Virginia found  throughout her  career that  she learned from her students, too.  What she learned  most was  the value  of direct, honest communication.   When  asked why  she has  been honored as such a good teacher, she responds,  "I'm spontaneous.   I enjoyed it and  had fun.    I knew my subject well.   I knew when kids were bored.  I involved  the students."   The  biggest reward  she has gotten  from  her  students  is  their continuing response to her through sustained contact with them.   Many of  her students went onto  careers  in  public  service  and/or  government.  Some are judges; others are Congressional Aides and Senate Aides.

     Though she is now retired from  teaching, Ms.  Franklin continues her  involvement  with  politics, government and civil liberties.  Virginia  can  not  run  for  political  office  herself  (due to rheumatoid arthritis  which began in 1968, shortly after her move from Paradise).  Her current goal is "To improve our  society and make  democracy  work."    Her  greatest  concern is that today's teenagers are not involved  with the  community, only themselves.

    This  "shopping   mall  consciousness"  cannot  be  inspiring  or fulfilling.  She conducts  teacher  workshops  on  government and how to  get students  interested in the world around them.  A new project  idea  she  is  developing   is   the   creation   of  an intergenerational  program  to  enable retired citizens to assist in classrooms.

     Virginia  is  an  active  supporter  of  the Democratic Party and Congresswoman Barbara Boxer.   She teaches  each semester  at San Francisco State University a special course for teachers entitled "Constitutional Concepts for Teachers".  She also  works with the Marin County Human Rights Resource Center with a specific goal of ending  racism.    This  is  not  surprising,  as  Ms. Franklin's personal philosophy  has always  been the  "Golden Rule". She has conducted workshops in racial awareness and cultural differences.

    She  has  assisted  in  the  "Panel  of  Americans" project which addresses local  community  groups  on  issues  of  racism.   She developed  a  model  program  of  a  "buddy  system"  for new ESL students  at  San  Rafael   High  School.   She  wrote  classroom curriculum  for   Martin  Luther  King  Day  and  has  served  as executive staff member for the Martin Luther King Jr. High School conferences  at   the  Civic  Center.    In  recognition  of  her significant contributions she was nominated for the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award in 1989. 

    When asked  what would she do if she could make one change in the government process, she  answered,  "I  would  like  Americans to understand reapportionment and its significance; for them to know politics and political parties  and what  they stand  for."  When asked how  she would  like to  be remembered,  she replied, "As a person with integrity, as a good  friend, as  someone who cared."

     Virginia Franklin  has spent  her life caring and teaching others to care about people.  When  asked  about  what  she  believes in most, it  would not  surprise anyone that has ever known her that she energetically smiled and responded, "People!"