Esther Loeb Kohn papers, Bulk, 1920-1965

Old Resource ID was EKohn

Esther Loeb Kohn (1875-1965) was a Hull-House resident, social reformer and lobbyist for progressive child labor laws in Illinois. After graduating from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, Esther Loeb married Alfred D. Kohn, a physician. Dr. Kohn was a member of the Chicago Board of Education and was instrumental in founding the first nutrition program in the Chicago public schools. After her husband's death in 1909, Kohn moved into Hull-House in 1911 where she would continue to live for thirty years.

At Hull-House, Kohn was placed in charge of children's activities and worked with the Bowen Country Club in Waukegan, Illinois. While a resident of Hull-House, Kohn helped to found a trade school for girls who left public school in search of employment. This program was then adopted by the Chicago Public Schools. She was also active in the Immigrant's Protective League, headquartered at Hull House, and served on the Board of Directors.

Kohn was very active in the movement for restrictive child labor laws in Illinois. She was a member of the Illinois Child Labor Committee and as such, conducted investigations into the street trades in Illinois. She was a special delegate to the 1930 White House Conference on Child Welfare. Kohn was also active in the field of medical social work. She was on the Board of Directors of Michael Reese Hospital where she organized a volunteer medical social work program for patients.

As a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Esther Loeb Kohn attended the Vienna Peace Conference at the conclusion of the First World War with Jane Addams. Later, she accompanied fellow Hull-House reformer Julia Lathrop to Russia to witness the socialist experiment first hand.

The collection contains personal correspondence, clippings and photographs as well as records of Chicago area social service agencies including the Immigrants Protective League, the Chicago Housing Authority, the National Child Labor Committee and Michael Reese Hospital.

This collection has two series. The first series represents the original processed collection. The second series represents the items donated by Kohn's great niece, Jo Ann Rotschild, in 2008.

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Esther Loeb Kohn papers, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Names
  • Chicago Housing Authority.
  • Hull-House (Chicago, Ill.).
  • Immigrants' Protective League (Chicago, Ill.).
  • Kohn, Esther Loeb -- Archives
  • Michael Reese Hospital.
  • National Child Labor Committee (U.S.).
• Geographic CoverageIllinois.
• Subject
  • Midwest Women's History.
  • Social workers.