Women's Forum Oral History Collection Interview Index

Karen Elizabeth Eckberg Gottovi was born February 2, 1941 in Rochester, New York. She went to Wells College and moved to Chapel Hill in the 1960s with her husband, who was finishing up medical school in Chapel Hill. Gottovi first worked as a high school English teacher to help put her husband through school. When they moved to North Carolina, she decided to get a Masters in Library Science, and began working as a reference librarian. She became involved in gender activism and the ERA movement as a member of the Women’s Forum in the late 1970s. Gottovi lobbied representatives in the General Assembly, participated in interviews with the media, and attended marches. She served for two terms as a New Hanover County Commissioner from 1976 to 1984. After the defeat of the ERA, Gottovi continued to advocate for women’s issues as well as environmental issues.