Reed Erickson (October 13, 1917 – January 3, 1992) was an American transgender man and philanthropist that, according to sociology specialist Aaron H. Devor, largely informed "almost every aspect of work being done in the 1960s and 1970s in the field of gender affirmation in the US and, to a lesser degree, in other countries.

Through the EEF, Erickson contributed millions of dollars to the early development of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) movements between 1964 and 1984.

In the early 1950s, Erickson returned to Baton Rouge, where he resumed working in the family business and started an independent company, Southern Seating, making stadium bleachers.

Erickson continued to be financially successful, eventually amassing a personal fortune estimated at over $40 million, most of which came from canny investments in the oil-rich real estate.

Erickson's official name change took place in 1963 with the sex reassignment surgery following in 1965, setting legal precedent in the state of Louisiana.

[4] Erickson Educational Foundation grants supported the work of the early homophile organization, ONE, Inc.,[5] and the New Age Movement (an example being paying to print the first edition of A Course in Miracles), acupuncture, homeopathy, dream research, and dolphin communication studies.

[1] In addition to philanthropy, the EEF functioned as an information and counseling resource for transgender people, creating a referral network of physicians and psychologists.

It published educational pamphlets for transgender people and their families—work that was continued by the Janus Information Facility after Erickson's death—and conducted outreach to medical professionals, clergy, law enforcement personnel, and academics.