Clapp, Elsie Ripley

Elsie Ripley Clapp was born on November 13, 1882 in New York City. In 1908 she received a B.A. in English from Barnard College and in 1909 an M.A. in Philosophy from Columbia University. During her graduate studies she assisted John Dewey in teaching Philosophy of Education courses at Teachers College. Clapp devoted her professional career to the propagation and application of Dewey's educational theories. Inspired by Dewey's idea that schools in rural districts have a unique opportunity to function socially, Clapp undertook work at Ballard Memorial School in Kentucky to test Dewey's theories (1924-1929). From 1929 to 1934 Clapp taught teachers "The Principles and Methods of Education" and "Educational use of Environmental Materials" in Rosemary Junior High School, Connecticut. In 1934 she began work in Arthurdale, West Virginia, a community created as a homestead for unemployed miners on land purchased by the Federal Government. Her experiment at Arthurdale allowed Clapp to examine the school as a social instrument, testing its utility in developing community life. From 1936 to 1939 Clapp served as editor of the national journal Progressive Education. The remainder of her life was devoted to teaching in a variety of places and to writing two books about community education, Community Schools in Action (1939) and The Use of Resources in Education (1952). Clapp died on July 28, 1965 in Exeter, New Hampshire.

From the description of Elsie Ripley Clapp papers, 1910-1959. (Southern Illinois University). WorldCat record id: 173189600