Samuel Augustus Barnett (1844-1913): English Clergyman, Social Reformer and Founder of Toynbee Hall Samuel Augustus Barnett was born in Bristol on February 8, 1844, a son of Francis Barnett, an iron manufacturer, and his wife Mary (née Gilmore). He was educated at home and at Wadham College, Oxford. He taught for a while at Winchester…
Continue Reading »Paul Willard Keve was a pioneer in the field of criminal justice, particularly regarding a professional focus on the management and administration of correctional programs and as a professional writer on criminal justice issues.
Continue Reading »Homer A. Plessy was the plaintiff in the middle of the 1896 Supreme Court ruling that confirmed the concept of “separate but equal” in U.S. law which then opened the door even wider for legal segregation, commonly known as “Jim Crow” laws.
Continue Reading »In January, 1919, Mary E. Brown was one of the suffragists who picketed the White House during President Woodrow Wilson’s Administration. She was arrested for her efforts advocating for the 19th Amendment designed to allow women the right to vote. Mrs. Brown was subsequently sentenced and spent five days in the District of Columbia’s jail.
Continue Reading »Ida Minerva Tarbell: Journalist & Muckraker By Catherine A. Paul Ida Minerva Tarbell was an American journalist and lecturer best known for her work, The History of the Standard Oil Company (1904). The History of the Standard Oil Company is one of the most thorough accounts of the rise of the business monopoly and its…
Continue Reading »Hunter, (Wiles) Robert (April 10, 1874 – May 15, 1942), Social Worker, Author and Socialist Editor’s Note: The career of Robert Hunter is a complicated journey through social work, social activism, research, field studies, politics, golf course design and academia. Over the years he moved from being a prominent Progressive to a dedicated Socialist…
Continue Reading »In 1886, Smith was appointed general secretary of the Associated Charities of Boston and formally launched her professional career in the charity organization movement and social work education. Under her leadership, Associated Charities was successful in bringing together most of the charities and relief organizations operating in Boston. Building on the skills she learned earlier, Smith organized a central file of families being served, a system of district offices, paid agents and volunteer friendly visitors. In an 1887 presentation at the annual meeting of the National Conference of Charities held in Omaha, Nebraska, Smith described aspects of the relationship among committees, volunteer visitors and paid agents doing the service of Associated Charities:
Continue Reading »C. C. Carstens: Interpreter of the Needs of Dependent Children (1865-1939). Written by: Emma Octavia Lundberg.
Continue Reading »In Washington, D.C., Keckley built a successful dressmaking career becoming acquainted with Mary Lincoln, whom Keckley met on President Lincoln’s first day in office. Her work for and friendship with Mary Lincoln permitted her a unique view of events during this era which she chronicled in Behind the Scenes (1868). Keckley also became a prominent figure in D.C.’s free black community, helping to found and serving as president of the Contraband Relief Association, which later became the Ladies’ Freedmen and Soldier’s Relief Association.
Continue Reading »Monsignor Paul Hanly Furfey (1896-1992): Catholic Sociologist Pioneer, Settlement House Organizer By: Michael Barga At the turn of the 20th century, sociology was a young field in the United States, and only a handful of advanced degree programs existed for the emerging area of study. In 1895, The Catholic University of America established the first…
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