Social Welfare History Project Public Health

Lessons From the Real Me – Willnette Cunningham

This remembrance is excerpted from a forthcoming book by Willnette Cunningham being prepared in collaboration with Shruti Sathish, editor. Ms. Cunningham is an AIDS survivor and HIV Awareness Activist.

LGBTQIA+ Health Disparities

A very diverse group within itself, the LGBTQIA+ community contains people from every race, ethnicity, and socio-economic group. While each of these populations have their own unique needs, studies show that members of the LGBTQ community face similar challenges when it comes to seeking medical care.

Segregation. Color Pattern from the Past–Our Struggle to Wipe it Out. Survey Graphic, January 1947

This item may also be read through the Internet Archive. Materials related to this topic may also be found in the Social Welfare History Image Portal.

Tenement House Reform

Primary sources related to tenement house reforms in the State of New York and the passage of the New York State Tenement House Act of 1901.

Nurses Settlement, Richmond, VA – Handbook of Settlements (1911)

RICHMOND – THE NURSES SETTLEMENT 201 East Cary Street (August, 1909 -) Note: This description of the Nurses Settlement in Richmond, VA is from the Handbook of Settlements written by two settlement house pioneers: Robert Archey Woods and Albert J. Kennedy. The book included the findings of a national survey of all the known settlements in existence in 1910 and…

Tuberculosis

By Alice W. Campbell and Catherine A. Paul, 2017. Tuberculosis has been known by many names throughout history, among them “consumption,” “the white death,” and “the great white plague.” Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s most deadly diseases.

Colony For Epileptics (1914)

“From the inception of public care of the insane in New York State epileptics were undoubtedly provided for from time to time, but no special provision was existent beyond a separate ward in the various hospitals. In 1873 Dr. Ordroneaux mentioned special provision for the epileptic on Blackwell’s Island.” This entry was copied with permission and derived from the blog researched and developed by Linda S. Stuhler.

Visiting Nurse Service Administered by the Henry Street Settlement (1936)

“What the skill and care of these devoted nurses has meant to thousands of the needy sick, of all ages, during these dark times, no statistics can reflect. Home nursing, such as ours, includes health education to the family as well as care to the patient. The charts and facts presented in this report enable those previously unfamiliar with our work to understand in some small measure the significance of the Service.”

Henry Street Settlement (1910)

This description of Henry Street Settlement in 1910-1911 is largely copied from the “Handbook of Settlements” written by two settlement house pioneers: Robert Archey Woods and Albert J. Kennedy. The handbook included the findings of a national survey of all the known settlements in existence in 1910 and was published by The Russell Sage Foundation of New York in 1911.

Henry Street Settlement Pioneers: Lillian Wald and Helen Hall

For its first 74 years Henry Street had but two directors, one served 40 years, the other 34. Our current executive director, Bertram M. Beck, follows the tradition of Lillian Wald and Helen Hall by living in the House at 265 Henry Street.