Gail Wyatt was born. Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Dr. Wyatt was the first African-American woman to be licensed as a psychologist in the state of California. A pioneering and influential researcher, Dr. Wyatt has testified on numerous occasions before the United States Congress in relation to health policy issues.

In 1992, Gail Wyatt received the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contribution to Research in Public Policy, part of the official citation for which read: 'Her research significantly advanced our understanding of the effects of abortion, childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual practices among women, particularly African-American women, and establishing research methods and tools to create culturally appropriate measures of these critical issues.'