Seattle Archdiocese

Ken CanDerhoef
Seattle attorney Ken VanDerhoef has been a leader in the pro-life movement for 38 years. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Human Life of Washington and was the group’s founder and first President. He also founded National Right to Life and co-founded Americans United for Life. He and his wife Judy are parishioners at St. Bridget Church, and have four children and nine great grandchildren. VanDerhoef recently shared his personal memories as well as his personal hopes for the pro-life movement with 'The Catholic Northwest Progress'.

Question When did you first become involved in the pro-life movement?
I got involved in 1970 when the Washington State Legislature couldn’t pass the abortion issue, so they referred it to the people for election (Referendum 20). I got a call from Archbishop Connolly who asked me if I would set up a system to oppose the referendum. So I met with my law partner, Patrick Geraghty, and we formed a political action committee (Voice for the Unborn). We hired a political consulting firm to help us. We had to set up a political office, raise money and notify voters. We organized a leadership team, set up a speakers bureau made up of doctors, lawyers, lay men and women and church officials. We went to the media and bought space on TV and radio. We had to buy space and get into publications.

Question What was the result?
In November of 1970 Referendum 20 passed, so in January of 1971 we organized Human Life of Washington. And because we were the only state that had ever voted for abortion, the United States Catholic Conference, headed by Monsignor James McHugh of Rockfield, New York contacted Archbishop Connolly, who then asked me to be a part of the USCC and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. I went back to Washington, DC and met with Monsignor McHugh and three others, and formed the National Right to Life. By 1972 we had an affiliate pro-life group of NRL in every state in the country.

Question Who were some of your pro-life colleagues in our area?
We had Kathy and Dick McEntee, Barbara Casey, who was our secretary, Dr. Bob Foughty, Maury Sheridan, John Payton and many others. The first President for Students for Life at Blanchet High School has now become our own Bishop Joseph Tyson. Dan Kennedy (current President of HLW) was working over in Spokane.

Question What are some of your memories of the late Kathy McEntee?
Kathy was on the original board of HLW and played a major role. Her husband Dick served for one year as President. They were in charge of the Tacoma chapter of the group and we always met at their home around the kitchen table. We used to call it “the second office.” After Kathy attended the first March for Life in Washington, D.C., she left the board of HLW and began the affiliate March for Life in our state.

What was the mindset of the pro-life community immediately following the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision?
When I read and heard the decision come down, it was a crisis in faith like I’ve never had, because the court made two findings in the case, and I quote: “We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary . . . is not in a position to speculate as to the answer.” In other words, the Supreme Court said we dehumanize a whole segment of our society –unborn children – because we don’t care whether they’re alive or dead.

Question How did Roe v. Wade affect the pro-life movement?
Because of it the national movement was crystallized and carried over into all life issues. Now we have the March for Life, the Hospice program, crisis pregnancy and pregnancy aid centers. The life principle, if applied to the unborn, must certainly be applied to the newly born, to the handicapped and to the terminally ill.

Question Do you think the pro-life movement is succeeding?
Yes. I think we are being successful because more people understand that there is life here. The abortion rate is falling because mothers are getting greater support to have their children. So the pro-life movement has now become an educational organization.

What would you describe as a “win” for pro-life?
We will never “win” until we understand that Roe v. Wade is not a question of abortion as a constitutional right, but is really a question of a constitutional right to life of the unborn child. The good Lord has taken care of us so far and will continue as long as we keep working.