Virginia Carter

Biographical information

Virginia Carter was born in Quebec in 1936 She obtained her masters from the University of Southern California and then obtained a job at Douglas Aircraft Corporation in 1962 where she was the only woman physicist. Carter was also heavily involved in women's rights, feminist movements, and an advocate for the LGBTQ community. She fought for the enactment of the Equal Rights Amendment in California through her work and presidency in the Los Angeles chapter of NOW. Through her activism, she met Frances Lear, who was married to the sitcom producer Norman Lear. Because of this connection, Carter began to advise sitcoms and earned the title of director of creative affairs. She began to bring the feminist perspective to several sitcoms including The Jeffersons, All in the Family, and Good Times. She eventually left the TV industry to run J. O. Crystal made synthetic rubies with her partner Judith Osmer. Osmer herself is a chemist and met Carter while working at Douglas Aircraft Corporation. Carter passed away on October 17, 2024 at the age of 87.