In 2011, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America saw an urgent need in the pro-life movement: high-quality research that would shine a light on the humanity of unborn children and the atrocities of abortion. Charlotte Lozier Institute was founded to be a research and education organization meeting that need, and “Science and Statistics for Life” became its motto. Essential to its mission would be engaging experts in diverse scientific, statistical, medical, and legal fields to produce the research and writing. And who better to spearhead such a mission than Chuck Donovan, a natural leader with the intelligence, interpersonal skills, and experience of several decades of serving unborn children and families?
Chuck’s pro-life journey started at an early age. Raised in a family of 10 siblings, he gained firsthand experience of what it is like to be around children and to defend them. That sense of duty, which he often described as seeking justice “for the little guy,” grew even more while he attended the University of Notre Dame in the 1970s, where he established a pro-life student group in the wake of Roe v. Wade.
After graduating, Chuck went on to become the legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee from 1978 to 1981, a senior writer for President Ronald Reagan until 1989, executive vice president of Family Research Council for nearly two decades, and a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation. By the time he came to CLI, he had developed a deep understanding of how timely, high-quality research could help propel the pro-life movement forward. The abortion industry, like Big Tobacco years before, was compromising legitimate science to support its agenda. And although not a scientist by trade, Chuck knew that CLI needed to be at the forefront of knowledge discovery and peer-reviewed research to counteract this bias.
With a keen sense for public policy, he strategically mapped out research papers and projects, often accurately predicting topics that would become pivotal to the pro-life movement years in advance. As he described it, CLI is “an action tank, not a think tank.” Many of CLI’s most popular and influential resources are the result of Chuck’s visionary mind. The Voyage of Life, for instance, was his idea for a visual and scientific resource on fetal development. Chuck wanted the viewer to go on a journey of the undeniable truth and miracle of human life. Another example is CLI’s National Pregnancy Center Reports. Chuck is a devoted champion of the tens of thousands of Americans – overwhelmingly volunteers – who provide compassionate care at pregnancy centers. While at Family Research Council, he brought national leaders together and organized a combined services report to quantify the impact of pregnancy centers across the country. He successfully transitioned this report over to CLI as an annual series entitled “A Legacy of Life & Love.
Chuck’s way with words became another great asset to CLI. He wrote many articles and op-eds that depicted what a just world looks like when every life is given a chance. His editorial on the legacy of U.S. Representative Henry Hyde was featured in the New York Times in 2013—no small feat considering the mainstream media’s pro-abortion bias.
Over the course of 13 years, the CLI team of scholars grew from just over a dozen to more than 70 under Chuck’s leadership. His integrity, humility, and foresight—all while still seeking justice for the little guy—have left a lasting impact. As we continue to carry out the “Science and Statistics for Life” mission, Chuck’s CLI legacy reminds us that our research and educational efforts must be directed toward defending the littlest among us—the unborn child who cannot speak for himself.
Thank you, Chuck.
