Helen Valeska Bary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Valeska Bary
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1888 |
| Died | June 22, 1973 (aged 84–85) |
| Occupation | Social reformer |
| Known for | Suffragist |
Helen Valeska Bary (1888 – June 22, 1973) was an American suffragist. A suffragist is someone who worked to get women the right to vote. Helen Bary also helped create the U.S. government's social welfare system. This system helps people in need.
Contents
Helen Bary's Early Work
Helen Bary worked hard for women's voting rights. She campaigned in different states and local areas. In 1914, she joined the California Industrial Welfare Commission. Her job was to look into the working conditions for women. She focused on women who worked in laundries.
In 1917, she wrote a report about her findings. It was called "The Employment of Women and Minors in the Laundry Industry of California." This report showed how important it was to improve conditions for workers.
Helping Children in Puerto Rico
After World War I, Helen Bary went to Puerto Rico. She worked for the Federal Children's Bureau. Here, she was a researcher and a social reformer. A social reformer tries to make society better. She studied the lives of poor and homeless children on the island.
In 1921, she wrote a paper called "The Trend of Child Welfare Work." It was published in the North American Review. In this paper, she said that people often accepted bad conditions for children. She believed this "fatalistic complacency" was a big problem for kids.
Working for Social Security
Helen Bary joined the federal Social Security Board (SSB) in 1935. This was when the Great Depression was happening. The Great Depression was a time when many people lost their jobs and money. The Social Security Board was created to help people during this difficult time.
She worked for the SSB until 1948. She represented the board in western states. Her role was to help these states create plans for social welfare reform. This helped them get money from the federal government to support their citizens.
Her Legacy and Later Life
Helen Bary was one of twelve women interviewed for the Suffragist Oral History Project. This project was done by the UC Berkeley Oral History Center. The interviews aimed to record the stories of women who fought for the Nineteenth Amendment. This amendment gave women the right to vote.
The project also documented their work as leaders in other important movements. These included welfare reform, labor reform, and world peace. They also worked for the Equal Rights Amendment. This amendment aimed to ensure equal rights for all American citizens, regardless of sex. Helen Bary passed away in 1973.
