Laura Jane Addams was born on September 6, 1860 in Cedarville, Illinois.  From a young age she had a selfless desire to help others and needed only to learn how to reach those in need.  On a trip to England she visited Toynbee Hall, one of the first settlement houses.  Addams took home with her the idea of an institution placed in and devoted to a poor neighborhood.  On September 18, 1889 Addams and her friend Ellen Gates Starr opened Hull House in Chicago.  An old mansion was restored and open for use by the local poor and recently immigrated.  Addams and Starr cared for the children of working parents and taught classes.  They fought for the rights of the city's poor, aiding to change child labor laws and safety standards.  These early acheivements developed the role of the social worker as we know it.  She went on to form the Women's Peace Party during World War I.  As a result of her life long commitment, Jane Addams became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in 1931.

The following books by and about Jane Addams are available at our store:

Addams, Jane. Democracy and Social Ethics. University of Illinois Press. Chicago: 2002.

--The Long Road of Woman's Memory. University of Illinois Press. Chicago: 2002.

--Philanthropy and Social Progress. Patterson Smith. Montclair, NJ: 1970. Hardcover, $10.00.

--The Spirit of Youth and the City Streets. University of Illinois Press. Chicago: 1972.

--Twenty Years at Hull House. University of Illinois Press. Chicago: 1990.

Bussey, Gertrude and Margaret Tims. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. George Allen & Unwin, Ltd. London: 1965. Hardcover, $30.00.

Davis, Allen F. and Mary L. Bryan, eds. One Hundred Years at Hull House. Indiana University Press: 1991. Paper, $10.95.

Farrell, John C. Beloved Lady: A History of Jane Addams' Ideas on Reform and Peace. Johns Hopkins Press. Baltimore: 1967. First edition hardcover, $40.00.

Grant, Matthew G. Jane Addams: Helper of the Poor. Creative Education. Mankato, MN: 1974. Hardcover, $10.00.

Keller, Gail Faithfull. Jane Addams. Thomas Y. Crowell Company. New York: 1971. First edition, hardcover, $17.50.

Linn, James Weber. Jane Addams: a Biography. University of Illinois Press. Champaign, IL: 2000. Paper, $15.95.

Meigs, Cornelia. Jane Addams: Pioneer for Social Justice. Little, Brown and Company. Boston: 1970. First edition, hardcover, $25.00.