Date of Award
8-29-2011
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Johanna Lewis
Abstract
From 1908 until 1914, Arkansas education administrators, public health officials, and women's associations participated in Southern campaigns for hookworm eradication and the improvement of public school systems. This thesis examines the activities of these three groups in relation to school sanitation and health education as well as the results of their cooperative efforts. Local school improvement associations and the Arkansas Federation of Women's Clubs publicized the poor conditions of Arkansas schools, solicited community participation, and achieved tangible improvements in the sanitation and appearance of individual school environments. State education and public health officials used these volunteer organizations to distribute disease prevention and education information to local communities and to foster public and legislative support for their respective agencies. Together, reformers obtained state legislation which established the responsibility of school authorities to monitor student health and provide a sanitary schoolhouse. In addition, knowledge of sanitary practices and disease prevention became part of official public school curriculum and teacher licensing examinations in Arkansas.
Recommended Citation
Easley, Myra Suzanne, "Privies, Politics, and Public Schools: Public Health and Education Reform in Arkansas, 1908-1917" (2011). Theses and Dissertations. 289.
https://research.ualr.edu/etd/289
