Smith, Hilda Worthington

Hilda Worthington "Jane" Smith (1888-1972) was born in New York. She received a bachelor of arts degree from Bryn Mawr College in 1910 and a masters'' degree from the same institution the following year, having studied economics, psychology and philosophy. Later she continued her studies at the New York School of Social Work, earning a diploma in 1915. In 1916 Smith became Director of the Bryn Mawr Community Center and from 1919 to 1922 served as Dean at Bryn Mawr College. In 1921, she became Director of the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers, a pioneer school in the field of Workers'' education. Her growing interest in this area of education resulted in her appointment as Chairman and Director of the Affiliated Schools for Workers (later the American Labor Education Service), a group of cooperating resident workers'' schools. In 1929, Smith established the Vineyard Shore Workers'' School at her family''s home in West Park, New York. The school closed four years later. In 1939, the Hudson Shore Labor School (formerly the Bryn Mawr Summer School) moved to the Smith property in West Park. No longer affiliated with Bryn Mawr, this school served both men and women from industry and the service trades. It was taken over by Rutgers University in 1952 and merged with its Labor-Management program. Smith worked for Bryn Mawr College and the Affiliated Schools until 1933 when she was appointed a Specialist in Workers'' Education under the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. She became Director of the Workers'' Service Program when the workers'' education program was continued under the Works Progress Administration. Under her direction, centers were established in thirty-five states to train unemployed teachers, many with no prior experience in workers'' education, in working with labor. Also schools and camps were organized to educate approximately 8,000 unemployed women. Jurisdiction over the latter program was transferred to the National Youth Administration in 1937. From 1939 until its termination in 1943 the Workers'' Service Program became more involved in projects relating to national defense. From 1943 to 1945, Smith was Chief of the Project Service Section of the Federal Public Housing Administration, an advisory service in education and recreation. She resigned this position to serve as Chairman of the Nation Committee for the Extension of Labor Education, an organization lobbying for legislation to establish a Labor Extension Service under the Department of Labor. She worked for this proposal until 1951 when it became clear that the bill would not pass Congress. Later, she became interested in services for the elderly, working for the New York State Education Department on a program of Recreation for the Elderly. From 1965 to 1972 she served as a consultant to the Office of Economic Opportunity in Washington.

From the description of Smith, Hilda W. (Hilda Worthington), 1888-1972 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10677888

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