Mollie Wallick
Mollie Wallick was reared in the New Orleans Orthodox Community. Her successful experience with a disabled child while Director of Communal Hebrew Nursery School led to an invitation to join the LSU Medical School Department of Psychiatry as Educational Director of the Therapeutic Nursery School. After several years as a therapist with autistic children, Mollie's assignment at the Medical School changed to medical student education and counseling. While counseling an isolated gay student, Mollie discovered her life's mission as an advocate for gays and lesbians. An address she gave before the New Orleans City Council helped influence the Council to extend rights to gays in housing, public accommodations, and the workplace. Married for 58 years to the late Mervin Wallick, Mollie is the mother of three and grandmother of six.
Mollie discusses her childhood within the Orthodox community of New Orleans, including her relationships with her relatives, particularly her maternal grandfather. Wallick married her husband, Mayer, in 1946, and they had three children. She discussed how her Jewish identity has changed over the years, especially how her gay rights activism transformed her relationship with Orthodox Judaism. In her position as a counselor for students at Louisana State University's Medical School, Wallick fought to get support and greater visibility for gay students. While this work came with several disappointments, she noticed a positive change in LSU's culture around the LGBTQ+ community.
