Edith Abbott
Born in Grand Island, Edith Abbott grew up in a home where the issues of law, women's rights, and justice were important. At the age of 6 she started to be active in the movement to gain voting rights for women.
While she was a student at the University of Chicago, she developed classes for people who wanted to help the poor, especially the children. She said that the outlook of the early pioneers inspired her to be tough in following what she believed to be right. Edith advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt on how to effectively help people who were poor. She worked in the Hull House in Chicago. It was a settlement house that was built to help educate poor people and immigrants.
Edith Abbott made a difference in her community and in our country. She fought for the rights of women and poor people and helped make their lives better.
Historical Photos courtesy of Stuhr Museum
