First published 1990
Ellen Fitzpatrick traces the remarkable journeys of Sophonisba Breckinridge, Edith Abbott, Katharine Bement Davis, and Frances Kellor from their graduate school days at the University of Chicago through their pioneering careers as social reformers. These four women leveraged their academic training in political science, economics, and sociology to tackle America's most pressing social problems in the early 1900s. Breckinridge and Abbott documented the harsh realities facing urban poor communities. Davis broke new ground as superintendent of New York State Reformatory at Bedford Hills, leading prison reform efforts. Kellor used her sociological expertise to gain access to male-dominated political circles and secure a prominent role in the Progressive Party. Fitzpatrick shows how their shared dedication to using knowledge for social change shaped the reform movement's character and demonstrates the profound impact these professional women had on issues from criminal justice to party politics.
Genres: 20th-century, biography-memoir, activism, academia, academic, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, professional-women
Setting: University of Chicago, New York, Bedford Hills
Period: Early 1900s
304 pages · Hardcover · Oxford University Press