Lillian Wald: America's Great Social and Healthcare Reformer

by Paul Kaplan

Overview

She was the forgotten greatest social reformer of her time.

In this immensely significant biography, Paul Kaplan follows powerful activist Lillian Wald, a social and education reformer dedicated to helping less fortunate citizens in New York. While living there, Wald began campaigning for healthcare, which lead her to inserting herself into the social climate of her patients. Groundbreaking for her time, Lillian Wald was not only a revolutionary reformer but also an advocate for women's suffrage, racial integration, and worker's rights. She acted as a leader in a world that has now forgotten her countless contributions. This biography is brilliant for children looking for a strong female role model from the past, for today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455623495
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	02/26/2018
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Having visited much of the United States and traveled to countries across six continents, Paul M. Kaplan is continually fascinated by the unique places he visits. A prolific writer, Kaplan delves into the social and cultural history of a location and delights in sharing the untold stories behind sites both famous and unknown. Kaplan graduated from Yale University with a BA in ethics, politics, and economics, going on to earn his MBA from the Yale School of Management and a certificate in digital marketing from New York University. An accomplished marketing strategist with years of experience, he works as director of digital strategy and social media for Broadridge Financial Solutions. He has held a variety of marketing and product management positions throughout his career for companies such as Barnes & Noble and American Express. Kaplan is involved with numerous organizations, including the Yale Writers' Conference, New York Society Library, Student Sponsor Partners support and mentorship program, and Yale University Alumni. In addition, he sits on the board of directors for the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy. Kaplan resides in Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Table of Contents

Preface 5

Acknowledgments 7

Chapter 1 The Early Years 9

Chapter 2 The Nurse to-Be 15

Chapter 3 A New Kind of Nurse 21

Chapter 4 First Years on the Lower East Side 33

Chapter 5 Visiting Nurse Service at the Henry Street Settlement 41

Chapter 6 Advocate for Children 55

Chapter 7 The Social Reformer 67

Chapter 8 Labor Reforms 79

Chapter 9 The Rise of World War I 87

Chapter 10 Postwar Life at the Settlement 95

Notes 106

References 109

Suggested Further Reading 110

Index 111

Editorial Reviews

★ 2017-12-11
Lillian Wald, revered in her lifetime, is little known today. But she was responsible for many of the social and health related programs we take for granted.She came from a comfortable German-Jewish middle-class family in Rochester, New York. Lillian always wanted to do something more than marry a suitable man and raise a family. She found her calling when she met a nurse who attended her ill sister. She lied about her age to get into New York Hospital's School of Nursing, where she rebelled against meaningless regulations and menial training. Her first visit to a tenement apartment on the Lower East Side opened her eyes to what would become her life's work: to find practical solutions to the health needs of the immigrant tenement dwellers. From that point she lived among the people and nursed them in their own homes. From this beginning she founded the Visiting Nurse Service, the Henry Street Settlement, and the first city playground; she also fought to have nurses in schools and for school lunches, established camps in the country, and so much more, connecting with wealthy, like-minded people for funding. Kaplan has meticulously researched Wald's life and achievements and sets them carefully in context, with many references to contemporary events and people. The book employs sidebars where necessary and is illustrated with archival photographs; all is presented in a conversational, greatly admiring tone.A fascinating introduction to the "angel of Henry Street" for a new generation. (preface, acknowledgements, notes, references, suggested reading, index) (Biography. 12-adult)

Kirkus Review