The Life and Works of Alice Chipman Dewey from 1909-1919

Abstract

Much of what has been written about the life and works of Alice Chipman Dewey (1858-1927) involved her relationship to her husband, John Dewey, and her work as one of the founders of the University of Chicago Laboratory School where she served as a teacher, the developer of curriculum, and the principal (Durst, 2010; Wolfe, 2000). Much less is known about Alice Chipman Dewey during the years 1909-1919. In the second decade of the 20th century, Alice was involved in political, social, and educational endeavors. The purpose of this case study is to describe Alice Chipman Dewey’s life and works during this period, which have been hidden or, at least, underreported in the literature. This article is dedicated to Harriet K. Cuffaro on the occasion of her 85th birthday.

Keywords: Harriet Alice (née Chipman) Dewey (1858-1927), John Dewey (1859-1952), learning by doing