Wisdom, justice, and charity : Canadian social welfare through the life of Jane B. Wisdom, 1884-1975

In __Wisdom, Justice, and Charity__, historian Suzanne Morton uses Jane B. Wisdom’s professional life to explore how the welfare state was built from the ground up by thousands of pragmatic and action-oriented social workers.

One of Canada’s first social workers, Jane B. Wisdom had an active career in social welfare that spanned almost the first half of the twentieth century. Competent, thoughtful, and trusted, she had a knack for being in important places at pivotal moments. Wisdom’s transnational career took her from Saint John to Montreal, New York City, Halifax, and Glace Bay, as well as into almost every field of social work. Her story offers a remarkable opportunity to uncover what life was like for front-line social workers in the profession’s early years.

In Wisdom, Justice, and Charity, historian Suzanne Morton uses Wisdom’s professional life to explore how the welfare state was built from the ground up by thousands of pragmatic and action-oriented social workers. Wisdom’s career illustrates the impact of professionalization, gender, and changing notions of the state – not just on those in the emergent profession of social work but also on those in need. Her life and career stand as a potent allegory for the limits and possibilities of individual action.

One of Canada{u2019}s first social workers, Jane B. Wisdom had an active career in social welfare that spanned almost the first half of the twentieth century. Competent, thoughtful, and trusted, she had a knack for being in important places at pivotal moments. Wisdom{u2019}s transnational career took her from Saint John to Montreal, New York City, Halifax, and Glace Bay, as well as into almost every field of social work. Her story offers a remarkable opportunity to uncover what life was like for front-line social workers in the profession{u2019}s early years.In Wisdom, Justice, and Charity, historian Suzanne Morton uses Wisdom{u2019}s professional life to explore how the welfare state was built from the ground up by thousands of pragmatic and action-oriented social workers. Wisdom{u2019}s career illustrates the impact of professionalization, gender, and changing notions of the state {u2013} not just on those in the emergent profession of social work but also on those in need. Her life and career stand as a potent allegory for the limits and possibilities of individual action Contents 5 Acknowledgments 7 Abbreviations 11 Introduction 13 Chapter One. Saint John: Religion, Philanthropy, and the Poor Law, 1884–1909 26 Chapter Two. McGill: The Ethos of Female Service, 1903–1911 50 Chapter Three. Montreal: Charity, Philanthropy, and Social Service, 1903–1912 71 Chapter Four. New York City: Private Agency Work, 1910–1916 92 Chapter Five. Halifax: Bureaucratization, Emergencies, and the Progressive State, 1916–1921 119 Chapter Six. Montreal and Cape Breton: Social Work Training and Professionalization, 1921–1939 144 Chapter Seven. The Women’s Directory of Montreal and Private Agency Work, 1923–1939 175 Chapter Eight. Glace Bay: Exploring Public Welfare, 1940–1952 202 Conclusion. Sutherland’s River, 1952–1975 231 Notes 239 Index 297