Voting Station

Lilian Wald

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Advocate

The Resume

    (March 10, 1867-September 1, 1940)
    Born in Cincinnati, Ohio
    Nurse, author, educator, and social worker
    Founded the Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (1893)
    Founding member of the NAACP, ACLU, Women's Trade Union League, and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
    Wrote 'The House on Henry Street' (1911) and 'Windows on Henry Street' (1934)

Why she might be annoying:

    She was born into privilege and said she was spoiled as a child.
    She applied to Vassar at age 16 but was rejected for being too young.
    Her continuing pacifism as the US moved closer to involvement in World War I resulted in some benefactors withdrawing their support for Henry Street.

Why she might not be annoying:

    She coined the term 'public health nurse' for nurses working outside hospitals within a community.
    She persuaded the New York Board of Health to organize the first public nursing system.
    She helped plan the School of Nursing at Columbia University (1910).
    In addition to health care, the Henry Street Settlement offered vocational training, lessons in English as a second language, arts classes, assistance in finding jobs and apartments, and a public playground.
    She insisted that the facilities at Henry Street be racially integrated.
    She pressured the New York City Board of Education to provide educational opportunities for children with physical and learning disabilities, to hire school nurses, and to establish school lunch programs.
    She represented the US at several International Red Cross conferences.
    The New York Times named her one of the twelve greatest living American women (1922).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 77 Votes: 54.55% Annoying