Edith Abbott - AggreNotes

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Edith Abbott (September 26, 1876 – July 28, 1957) was an American economist, social worker, educator, author, and social reformer. A pioneer in the field of social work and a key figure in the Progressive Era, Abbott applied rigorous economic and statistical methods to the study of social problems. She was instrumental in establishing social work as a professional academic discipline, serving as Dean of the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, the first woman to become dean of a graduate school at a major American university.

Edith Abbott was born in Grand Island, Nebraska. Her father, Othman A. Abbott, was Nebraska's first Lieutenant Governor, and her mother, Elizabeth Maletta Griffin, was an abolitionist and suffrage leader. Both parents instilled in Edith and her sister, Grace Abbott (who also became a prominent social reformer), a strong belief in social justice and women's rights.

Abbott graduated from Brownell Hall, a girls' boarding school in Omaha, in 1893. After teaching high school, she attended the University of Nebraska, receiving her A.B. degree in 1901. She continued her studies at the University of Chicago, where she was influenced by economists like Thorstein Veblen and J. Laurence Laughlin, earning her Ph.D. in economics in 1905. Her dissertation was titled "Wages of Unskilled Labor in the United States, 1850-1900."

Following her doctorate, she received a Carnegie Fellowship and spent 1906–1907 at the London School of Economics, studying with social reformers Sidney and Beatrice Webb. This experience exposed her to British Fabian socialist ideas and methods of social investigation.

Upon returning to the United States, Abbott taught economics at Wellesley College from 1907 to 1908. In 1908, she moved to Chicago to join Sophonisba Breckinridge, another social scientist and reformer, at Jane Addams's Hull House. Living and working at Hull House provided Abbott with firsthand experience of the social problems faced by urban poor and immigrant communities, which profoundly shaped her research agenda.

With Breckinridge, Abbott co-founded the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy, an independent training school for social workers. In 1920, this school was controversially merged into the University of Chicago, becoming its Graduate School of Social Service Administration (SSA).

Abbott became an associate professor of social economy at the SSA in 1920.
In 1924, she was appointed Dean of the SSA, a position she held until 1942. Under her leadership, the SSA became a leading institution for social work education, emphasizing rigorous research, a strong grounding in social sciences (including economics and statistics), and a commitment to public service and social reform. She insisted that social work education should be at the graduate level and integrated within a research university.
She was a co-founder (with Breckinridge) and long-time editor (1927–1953) of the influential academic journal, the Social Service Review , which published research on social welfare problems and policies.

Abbott also served in various advisory roles to state and federal governments. She worked with the Children's Bureau, headed by her sister Grace, and was an advisor on committees related to immigration, crime, and social security during the New Deal era. She was a strong advocate for public welfare programs, social insurance, and protective labor legislation.

Edith Abbott's work was characterized by its empirical rigor, its application of economic principles to social problems, and its unwavering commitment to social justice.

Empirical Social Research: Abbott was a pioneer in using statistical methods and detailed field investigation to study social issues. She believed that effective social reform must be based on a thorough understanding of the facts. Her economic training provided the methodological foundation for this approach.
Women in Industry: Her early and most significant economic research focused on women's labor. Women in Industry (1910) was a landmark historical and statistical study of women's employment in the United States, tracing their changing roles in the workforce and documenting their wages, working conditions, and the economic factors driving their participation. She challenged the notion that women worked only for "pin money," demonstrating their essential economic contributions to their families.
Immigration: Abbott conducted extensive research on immigration, published in works like The Immigrant and the Community (1917). She analyzed the social and economic adjustment of immigrants, advocating for more humane and informed immigration policies and challenging nativist sentiments.
Social Welfare and Public Policy: She was a strong proponent of the state's responsibility for social welfare. Her research on poverty, housing (e.g., The Tenements of Chicago ), crime, and child welfare provided evidence for the need for government intervention and social programs. She argued for a shift from private charity to public social services.
Professionalization of Social Work: Abbott believed that social work should be a profession grounded in scientific knowledge and research, not just good intentions. As Dean of the SSA, she established a curriculum that integrated social science theory (including economics) with practical fieldwork, setting a new standard for social work education.
Critique of Laissez-Faire Economics: While trained in classical economics, her experiences and research led her to critique laissez-faire approaches that ignored social costs and inequalities. She advocated for government regulation and social programs to address market failures and protect vulnerable populations.

Edith Abbott was a transformative figure in American social science and social welfare.

She played a crucial role in establishing social work as a respected academic discipline and profession.
Her research provided a factual basis for many social reforms of the Progressive Era and the New Deal.
The School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago remains a leading institution, a testament to her vision.
The Social Service Review continues to be a premier journal in the field.
She was a pioneer for women in academia, becoming the first female dean of a major American graduate school.

Edith Abbott died in Grand Island, Nebraska, in 1957.

1905: Wages of Unskilled Labor in the United States, 1850-1900. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Chicago).
1910: Women in Industry: A Study in American Economic History. New York: D. Appleton and Company.
1912: (with Sophonisba P. Breckinridge) The Delinquent Child and the Home. New York: Charities Publication Committee.
1915: (with Sophonisba P. Breckinridge) Truancy and Non-Attendance in the Chicago Schools: A Study of the Social Aspects of the Compulsory Education and Child Labor Legislation in Illinois . Chicago .
1917: The Immigrant and the Community. New York: Century Co.
1924: (Editor) Immigration; Select Documents and Case Records. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1931: Social Welfare and Professional Education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Revised and enlarged edition, 1942).
1936: The Tenements of Chicago, 1908–1935. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1938: (Editor) Public Assistance: American Principles and Policies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1940: (with others) The Child and the State. 2 volumes. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1941: From Relief to Social Security: The Development of the New Public Welfare Services and Their Administration. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Edith Abbott (September 26, 1876 – July 28, 1957) was an American economist, social worker, educator, author, and social reformer. A pioneer in the field of social work and a key figure in the Progressive Era, Abbott applied rigorous economic and statistical methods to the study of social problems. She was instrumental in establishing social work as a professional academic discipline, serving as Dean of the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, the first woman to become dean of a graduate school at a major American university.

Edith Abbott was born in Grand Island, Nebraska. Her father, Othman A. Abbott, was Nebraska's first Lieutenant Governor, and her mother, Elizabeth Maletta Griffin, was an abolitionist and suffrage leader. Both parents instilled in Edith and her sister, Grace Abbott (who also became a prominent social reformer), a strong belief in social justice and women's rights.

Abbott graduated from Brownell Hall, a girls' boarding school in Omaha, in 1893. After teaching high school, she attended the University of Nebraska, receiving her A.B. degree in 1901. She continued her studies at the University of Chicago, where she was influenced by economists like Thorstein Veblen and J. Laurence Laughlin, earning her Ph.D. in economics in 1905. Her dissertation was titled "Wages of Unskilled Labor in the United States, 1850-1900."

Following her doctorate, she received a Carnegie Fellowship and spent 1906–1907 at the London School of Economics, studying with social reformers Sidney and Beatrice Webb. This experience exposed her to British Fabian socialist ideas and methods of social investigation.

Upon returning to the United States, Abbott taught economics at Wellesley College from 1907 to 1908. In 1908, she moved to Chicago to join Sophonisba Breckinridge, another social scientist and reformer, at Jane Addams's Hull House. Living and working at Hull House provided Abbott with firsthand experience of the social problems faced by urban poor and immigrant communities, which profoundly shaped her research agenda.

With Breckinridge, Abbott co-founded the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy, an independent training school for social workers. In 1920, this school was controversially merged into the University of Chicago, becoming its Graduate School of Social Service Administration (SSA).

Abbott became an associate professor of social economy at the SSA in 1920.
In 1924, she was appointed Dean of the SSA, a position she held until 1942. Under her leadership, the SSA became a leading institution for social work education, emphasizing rigorous research, a strong grounding in social sciences (including economics and statistics), and a commitment to public service and social reform. She insisted that social work education should be at the graduate level and integrated within a research university.
She was a co-founder (with Breckinridge) and long-time editor (1927–1953) of the influential academic journal, the Social Service Review , which published research on social welfare problems and policies.

Abbott also served in various advisory roles to state and federal governments. She worked with the Children's Bureau, headed by her sister Grace, and was an advisor on committees related to immigration, crime, and social security during the New Deal era. She was a strong advocate for public welfare programs, social insurance, and protective labor legislation.

Edith Abbott's work was characterized by its empirical rigor, its application of economic principles to social problems, and its unwavering commitment to social justice.

Empirical Social Research: Abbott was a pioneer in using statistical methods and detailed field investigation to study social issues. She believed that effective social reform must be based on a thorough understanding of the facts. Her economic training provided the methodological foundation for this approach.
Women in Industry: Her early and most significant economic research focused on women's labor. Women in Industry (1910) was a landmark historical and statistical study of women's employment in the United States, tracing their changing roles in the workforce and documenting their wages, working conditions, and the economic factors driving their participation. She challenged the notion that women worked only for "pin money," demonstrating their essential economic contributions to their families.
Immigration: Abbott conducted extensive research on immigration, published in works like The Immigrant and the Community (1917). She analyzed the social and economic adjustment of immigrants, advocating for more humane and informed immigration policies and challenging nativist sentiments.
Social Welfare and Public Policy: She was a strong proponent of the state's responsibility for social welfare. Her research on poverty, housing (e.g., The Tenements of Chicago ), crime, and child welfare provided evidence for the need for government intervention and social programs. She argued for a shift from private charity to public social services.
Professionalization of Social Work: Abbott believed that social work should be a profession grounded in scientific knowledge and research, not just good intentions. As Dean of the SSA, she established a curriculum that integrated social science theory (including economics) with practical fieldwork, setting a new standard for social work education.
Critique of Laissez-Faire Economics: While trained in classical economics, her experiences and research led her to critique laissez-faire approaches that ignored social costs and inequalities. She advocated for government regulation and social programs to address market failures and protect vulnerable populations.

Edith Abbott was a transformative figure in American social science and social welfare.

She played a crucial role in establishing social work as a respected academic discipline and profession.
Her research provided a factual basis for many social reforms of the Progressive Era and the New Deal.
The School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago remains a leading institution, a testament to her vision.
The Social Service Review continues to be a premier journal in the field.
She was a pioneer for women in academia, becoming the first female dean of a major American graduate school.

Edith Abbott died in Grand Island, Nebraska, in 1957.

1905: Wages of Unskilled Labor in the United States, 1850-1900. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Chicago).
1910: Women in Industry: A Study in American Economic History. New York: D. Appleton and Company.
1912: (with Sophonisba P. Breckinridge) The Delinquent Child and the Home. New York: Charities Publication Committee.
1915: (with Sophonisba P. Breckinridge) Truancy and Non-Attendance in the Chicago Schools: A Study of the Social Aspects of the Compulsory Education and Child Labor Legislation in Illinois . Chicago .
1917: The Immigrant and the Community. New York: Century Co.
1924: (Editor) Immigration; Select Documents and Case Records. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1931: Social Welfare and Professional Education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Revised and enlarged edition, 1942).
1936: The Tenements of Chicago, 1908–1935. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1938: (Editor) Public Assistance: American Principles and Policies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1940: (with others) The Child and the State. 2 volumes. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1941: From Relief to Social Security: The Development of the New Public Welfare Services and Their Administration. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Edith Abbott (September 26, 1876 – July 28, 1957) was an American economist, social worker, educator, author, and social reformer. A pioneer in the field of social work and a key figure in the Progressive Era, Abbott applied rigorous economic and statistical methods to the study of social problems. She was instrumental in establishing social work as a professional academic discipline, serving as Dean of the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, the first woman to become dean of a graduate school at a major American university.

Edith Abbott was born in Grand Island, Nebraska. Her father, Othman A. Abbott, was Nebraska's first Lieutenant Governor, and her mother, Elizabeth Maletta Griffin, was an abolitionist and suffrage leader. Both parents instilled in Edith and her sister, Grace Abbott (who also became a prominent social reformer), a strong belief in social justice and women's rights.

Abbott graduated from Brownell Hall, a girls' boarding school in Omaha, in 1893. After teaching high school, she attended the University of Nebraska, receiving her A.B. degree in 1901. She continued her studies at the University of Chicago, where she was influenced by economists like Thorstein Veblen and J. Laurence Laughlin, earning her Ph.D. in economics in 1905. Her dissertation was titled "Wages of Unskilled Labor in the United States, 1850-1900."

Following her doctorate, she received a Carnegie Fellowship and spent 1906–1907 at the London School of Economics, studying with social reformers Sidney and Beatrice Webb. This experience exposed her to British Fabian socialist ideas and methods of social investigation.

Upon returning to the United States, Abbott taught economics at Wellesley College from 1907 to 1908. In 1908, she moved to Chicago to join Sophonisba Breckinridge, another social scientist and reformer, at Jane Addams's Hull House. Living and working at Hull House provided Abbott with firsthand experience of the social problems faced by urban poor and immigrant communities, which profoundly shaped her research agenda.

With Breckinridge, Abbott co-founded the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy, an independent training school for social workers. In 1920, this school was controversially merged into the University of Chicago, becoming its Graduate School of Social Service Administration (SSA).

Abbott became an associate professor of social economy at the SSA in 1920.
In 1924, she was appointed Dean of the SSA, a position she held until 1942. Under her leadership, the SSA became a leading institution for social work education, emphasizing rigorous research, a strong grounding in social sciences (including economics and statistics), and a commitment to public service and social reform. She insisted that social work education should be at the graduate level and integrated within a research university.
She was a co-founder (with Breckinridge) and long-time editor (1927–1953) of the influential academic journal, the Social Service Review , which published research on social welfare problems and policies.

Abbott also served in various advisory roles to state and federal governments. She worked with the Children's Bureau, headed by her sister Grace, and was an advisor on committees related to immigration, crime, and social security during the New Deal era. She was a strong advocate for public welfare programs, social insurance, and protective labor legislation.

Edith Abbott's work was characterized by its empirical rigor, its application of economic principles to social problems, and its unwavering commitment to social justice.

Empirical Social Research: Abbott was a pioneer in using statistical methods and detailed field investigation to study social issues. She believed that effective social reform must be based on a thorough understanding of the facts. Her economic training provided the methodological foundation for this approach.
Women in Industry: Her early and most significant economic research focused on women's labor. Women in Industry (1910) was a landmark historical and statistical study of women's employment in the United States, tracing their changing roles in the workforce and documenting their wages, working conditions, and the economic factors driving their participation. She challenged the notion that women worked only for "pin money," demonstrating their essential economic contributions to their families.
Immigration: Abbott conducted extensive research on immigration, published in works like The Immigrant and the Community (1917). She analyzed the social and economic adjustment of immigrants, advocating for more humane and informed immigration policies and challenging nativist sentiments.
Social Welfare and Public Policy: She was a strong proponent of the state's responsibility for social welfare. Her research on poverty, housing (e.g., The Tenements of Chicago ), crime, and child welfare provided evidence for the need for government intervention and social programs. She argued for a shift from private charity to public social services.
Professionalization of Social Work: Abbott believed that social work should be a profession grounded in scientific knowledge and research, not just good intentions. As Dean of the SSA, she established a curriculum that integrated social science theory (including economics) with practical fieldwork, setting a new standard for social work education.
Critique of Laissez-Faire Economics: While trained in classical economics, her experiences and research led her to critique laissez-faire approaches that ignored social costs and inequalities. She advocated for government regulation and social programs to address market failures and protect vulnerable populations.

Edith Abbott was a transformative figure in American social science and social welfare.

She played a crucial role in establishing social work as a respected academic discipline and profession.
Her research provided a factual basis for many social reforms of the Progressive Era and the New Deal.
The School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago remains a leading institution, a testament to her vision.
The Social Service Review continues to be a premier journal in the field.
She was a pioneer for women in academia, becoming the first female dean of a major American graduate school.

Edith Abbott died in Grand Island, Nebraska, in 1957.

1905: Wages of Unskilled Labor in the United States, 1850-1900. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Chicago).
1910: Women in Industry: A Study in American Economic History. New York: D. Appleton and Company.
1912: (with Sophonisba P. Breckinridge) The Delinquent Child and the Home. New York: Charities Publication Committee.
1915: (with Sophonisba P. Breckinridge) Truancy and Non-Attendance in the Chicago Schools: A Study of the Social Aspects of the Compulsory Education and Child Labor Legislation in Illinois . Chicago .
1917: The Immigrant and the Community. New York: Century Co.
1924: (Editor) Immigration; Select Documents and Case Records. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1931: Social Welfare and Professional Education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Revised and enlarged edition, 1942).
1936: The Tenements of Chicago, 1908–1935. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1938: (Editor) Public Assistance: American Principles and Policies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1940: (with others) The Child and the State. 2 volumes. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1941: From Relief to Social Security: The Development of the New Public Welfare Services and Their Administration. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.