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Part of the American
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Sadie American 1862 ~ 1944
The splendid work done by Miss American
should be the pride not only of her own race, but of all
American women. She was born in Chicago, March 3, 1862, and
educated in the public schools of that city. She has been a
frequent speaker at clubs and conventions on the subject in
which she is so deeply interested, philanthropy, civic and
educational subjects; has occupied the pulpits in synagogues and
churches; was secretary of the Congress of Jewish Women at the
World's Fair in 1893; one of the founders of the Council of
Jewish Women, 1893, an organizer of many sections of this
association, and its executive secretary in 1893; president of
the New York section. Council of Jewish Women; speaker and
delegate representing Council of Jewish Women at the
International Congress of Women; also at the Atlanta Exposition,
1896; London, 1899, Speaker Vacation Schools; Berlin, 1904,
Toronto, 1909, Speaker Playgrounds; Chairman of the Press
Committee of Council of Jewish Women, 1899-1904. Jewish
Societies: Was instrumental in the formation of the Jewish Study
Society, 1899, and later in the formation of the Union of Jewish
Women Workers, England. Assisted in the formation of the Bund
Judischer Frauen, Berlin, 1904. Council of Women of the United
States. Member of the Executive Committee of the Council of
Women of the United States since 1898. Speaker Triennial Council
of Women of the United States, 1895, 1898, 1902. Committee on
Peace Propaganda, Council of Women of the United States,
1899-1904. Chairman Committee on Immigration and Emigration
1911. Federation of Women's Clubs. Speaker at Biennial of
General Federation of Clubs, Denver, 1896. Member of Industrial
Committee, New York State Federation of Women's Clubs, 1905.
Speaker on Play-grounds at the General Federation of Women's
Clubs, Boston, 1908. Woman's Municipal League. Director Woman's
Municipal League New York City, 1901. Chairman of Woman's
Municipal League Tenement House Committee, 1 902- 1 903. Member
Executive Committee Intermunicipal Association for Household
Research, 1904. Consumers' League: Vice-president, 1898-1899 and
director, 1899, Illinois Consumers' League. President of
Consumers' League of New York State, 1901-1905. Member Executive
Committee National Consumers' League, 1901-1906. Chicago
Activities: Club Leader Maxwell Street Settlement, Chicago,
1894-1898. Teacher Sinai Temple Sunday School, Chicago,
1894-1899. Member Executive Committee, Civic Federation of
Chicago, 1895-1899. Founder Vacation Schools, Chicago, 1896.
President League for Religious Fellowship, Chicago, 1896.
Founder and Chairman Permanent Vacation School and Playground
Committee of Chicago Women's Clubs, 1896-1900. Member of
Executive Committee of South Side District Bureau of Charities,
Chicago, 1896-1899. Director Cook County League of Women's
Clubs, 1897-1898. Member of committee in Chicago which drew and
secured the passage of the Illinois Juvenile Court Law. Member
of Executive Committee of Committee of One Hundred to revise
laws regulating education in Illinois, 1897- 1898. Member
Executive Committee and one of the founders at the call of the
Governor, Army and Navy League of Illinois during the
Spanish-American War, 1898. National Association of Charities
and Corrections. Speaker National Association of Charities and
Corrections, 1895. Member of Committee on Neighborhood
Improvement, National Association of Charities and Corrections,
1903. Play-ground Association of America: One of the founders of
Playground Association of America. Member of Executive Committee
and Secretary of Board of Directors. Chairman of Committee on
Playgrounds in Institutions, 1908. Public Education Association
: Member of Committee on night school and Social Centers, Public
Education Associations, New York City, 1 899- 1903. National
Educational Association: Member of Executive Committee,
Department of Women's Organizations, 1907. Delegate to the
National Education Association, Department of Superintendents,
Washington, 1908. Delegate Department of Women's Organizations,
National Educational Association, Washington, 1908. Delegate to
Department of Women's Organizations, National Education
Association, Cleveland, 1908 and Denver, 1909. International
Congress on Tuberculosis: Delegate and speaker at the
International Congress on Tuberculosis, Washington, 1908.
Immigrant Aid: Member of Executive Committee of societies
co-operating to secure United States' women inspectors to
protect girls coming in first and second class cabins since
1903. Founder and chair-man of the Committee on Immigrant Aid,
Council of Jewish women. Publications: Reports of Council of
Jewish Women. Articles on Vacation Schools and Playgrounds,
among them two in the Journal of Sociology, University of
Chicago, November, 1898, and January, 1899. Reports of Vacation
Schools and Playground Committee, Chicago Woman's Club,
1897-1899. Plan of Work Committee on Immigrant Aid, Council of
Jewish Women. Many fugitive lectures and articles on social
subjects.
Miss American is particularly proud of founding the vacation
schools and playgrounds in the city of Chicago. These, Colonel
Parker of Chicago stated, "could hardly have gone forward
without her; that the method and conduct was so unique he
considered it epoch making in education.' While vacation schools
were first started on philanthropic lines in New York City,
these schools in Chicago were purely educational, and were
conducted under a Board of Education of the best educators and
social service workers of that city, and this work has since
been incorporated in the schools of Chicago. Today vacation
schools and playgrounds are common, but when Miss American
started this work in 1897, in Chicago there was neither
literature nor activity on the subject in the sense of its being
a great movement and hers was really the pioneer work in this
direction. One of the special features of these schools was that
provision was made for the deaf, the dumb and the blind. A
school for these unfortunates was conducted in a summer camp.
In 1900, while Miss American and her
mother were enroute to New York to establish a home, she met
with a severe railroad accident and since that time her health
has been such that her activities and the great work that she
has accomplished in these various lines has been conducted from
her home.
Miss American is at present greatly
interested in vacation schools and welfare work for the blind,
among the Jews in the city of New York and has organized a
national association and work has been commenced in New York,
Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Another problem which has been forced
upon her attention is the question of the care and provision for
the Jewish immigrant girl and she has organized a committee on
immigration aid which follows every Jewish immigrant girl who
comes to this country, no matter what her destination and this
has aroused a general interest in that of other immigrant girls
which has been taken up by other philanthropic societies.
Long before the white slave traffic
appalled the country. Miss American had been doing work in the
interest and protection and saving of these young women. She was
a delegate to the International White Slave Convention and has
been active in associations which are aiding the individual work
and work done by the government in this question. Miss American
attended the conference on children called by President
Roosevelt and did splendid work in the interest of the
illegitimate child.
The Lakeview Home for wayward girls and
unmarried mothers was founded by Miss American in the city of
New York. The varied and important character of Miss American's
charitable work has not received, thus far, the appreciation
which it so justly deserves. In future generations, hundreds of
thousands will enjoy the benefits of work of which she has been
the initial spirit, and which never could have been brought to
realization without her energy and ability.
Women of
America
Source: The Part Taken by Women in
American History, By Mrs. John A. Logan, Published by The Perry-Nalle
Publishing Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1912.
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