In 1965, Time Magazine had done an article on Reed Erickson of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, so it seemed possible that the local TV station would like to interview a local businessman who was making headlines.
Erickson worked in the family smelting business in Baton Rouge after graduating from Louisiana State University in 1946 as the first woman graduate from the LSU School of Mechanical Engineering.
Erickson was born Rita and began transitioning in 1963 into Reed in some sort of Twilight Zone script, except this was really happening.
Reed Erickson was a woman who became a man. It made news because it set a legal precedent in Louisiana.
Now, in 1965 Baton Rouge that was a subject that would come under “against God’s will”, “abhorrent to nature” and generally things folks didn’t want to think about, much less see on their TV where it would be talked about, out loud, in plain language so the children might hear. But since Time Magazine had done an article on Reed Erickson, for some reason the brain trust at the station’s owner’s – Guaranty Income Life – thought we should follow up. It was probably the LSU connection. Of course this was the same TV station that promoted live wrestling every Friday for Saturday night’s bouts.
The 10pm anchorman Ron Albritton interviewed Reed. From present day Florida, he remembers it being an hour long, with none of the wrestling hype;
“I remember interviewing Reed, who had undergone treatment at Johns Hopkins, changing from a woman into a man. The program I was doing, that I believed aired on Saturday mornings, was called “Perspective”. It was mostly politically oriented but, occasionally something strange came along and this was one of those times. I can still remember how strange it was shaking hands with a man that was once a woman, kind of like a cold fish hand. Also, he/she was growing a beard, but it was not a thick beard. Anyway, that’s the story.”
In 1965 Louisiana the subject was unheard of, but when it was thrust upon us, there was a sort of a freak show-rubberneckers gaze that gripped us – not really wanting to look, but unable to tear our gazes away from the fascinating forbidden image.
Since he was in the same building, I admit I did have a peek at Reed as he was being led to the interview chair. What stayed with me was the fluff of a ginger beard that had stood out for Ron.
But what escaped us all, those decades ago, was a chance to understand the current transgender issue, because Reed was truly the poster boy.
Not only did he face his problem, he set up the Erickson Educational Foundation which powered almost all of transgender information, research and education during the 1960’s and 70’s with money and people power. It was the family business that provided cash for Reed’s transgender research and altruism until the early 80’s.
He died in 1992 in Mexico, a fugitive from a drug charge in the US, drugs he became addicted to during his struggle. He had married three times, and fathered two children.