Doris Aiken ’57

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Doris Aiken ’57 has been in the forefront of the battle to remove intoxicated drivers from the roads of America for the past 30 years. In response to the drunk driver head-on collision deaths of two teenagers in Schenectady, N.Y., she founded Remove Intoxicated Drivers-USA (RID) in 1978, two years before the founding of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

At the national level, RID advocated for setting the drinking age standard at 21 (1984), the Howard-Barnes bill (setting DWI legislative standards), the Alcohol Warning Label Act (1988) and supported the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold safety driving checkpoints. On a personal level, Aiken is renowned for her unrestrained activism and her articles and books, “The Media Game and How to Play It” and My Life as a Pit Bull.

For years, Aiken has galvanized listeners on topics including binge drinking among youth and legal issues to combat drunk driving. She has appealed for the rights of citizens to safer roads, equal justice for victims, responsible laws, and open government and driving records. Her message that each person can make a difference is presented with zest, humor and anecdotes from her successful adventures in activism. She highlights the role women play in the history of societal change.

Aiken’s efforts and accomplishments earned her numerous awards including the New York State Troopers Commendation, U.S. Department of Justice Award for Victim’s Aid, President Reagan’s Private Sector Volunteer Award and the International Widmark Award from the International Council on Alcohol, Drug & Traffic Safety. Commendations have come from the National Commission Against Drunk Driving, the Women’s Press Club, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the New York Department of Motor Vehicles.

She served on the National Commission Against Drunken Driving, is a founding board member of the National Coalition to Prevent Impaired Driving, a consultant to the New York Governor’s Task Force on Drunken Driving and as secretary of the World Federation Against Road Slaughter. Aiken has presented throughout the country and in Paris.