Elizabeth E. Farrell (1870– October 15, 1932) was an American educator, first person to teach a class of

special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...

students in an American public school, and first president of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Early life and education

Elizabeth Farrell was born in

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

. She attended Utica Catholic Academy and the Oswego Normal and Training School. When she finished basic teacher training in 1895, she pursued further study at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

and

Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), is the graduate school of education, health, and psychology of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, it has served as one of the official faculties and ...

, eventually earning a bachelor's degree.

Career

Farrell taught one year at a small school in

Oneida Castle, New York Oneida Castle ( one, tkanaˀalóhaleˀ) is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 625 at the 2010 census. The Village of Oneida Castle is in the northwestern corner of the Town of Vernon. Oneida Castle is east of ...

before accepting a position at

Henry Street Settlement The Henry Street Settlement is a not-for-profit social service agency in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City that provides social services, arts programs and health care services to New Yorkers of all ages. It was founde ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. She taught at Public School No. 1 while living at the settlement house, and working with

Lillian Wald Lillian D. Wald (March 10, 1867 – September 1, 1940) was an American nurse, humanitarian and author. She was known for contributions to human rights and was the founder of American community nursing. She founded the Henry Street Settlement in N ...

, the director of Henry Street. Her students, all boys, were a range of ages, and thus the class was called "ungraded". Soon other "ungraded" classes were established in New York schools, after her model; in 1906 Farrell became director of

, with the title "Inspector of Ungraded Classes." As Inspector, Farrell began a diagnostic clinic to test schoolchildren for underlying causes of poor academic achievement. She also began a journal, titled ''Ungraded'', to share findings with other special education professionals. She was a frequent lecturer, and taught pioneering special education courses at Teachers College Columbia University and at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

. Her authority over classrooms throughout New York's public schools raised concerns about loss of local control, and in 1917 teachers unanimously approved a resolution to limit her influence. In 1922, she became one of the founders and the first president of the International Council for Exceptional Children.

Personal life and legacy

Farrell died in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, in the autumn of 1932, age 62. Earlier in 1932, she was honored at a luncheon marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Ungraded Class Teachers' Association, an organization she founded. Speakers at her memorial service included her Columbia University colleagues

Leta Stetter Hollingworth Leta Stetter Hollingworth (25 May 1886 – 27 November 1939) was an American psychologist, educator, and feminist. Hollingworth also made contributions in psychology of women; clinical psychology; and educational psychology. She is best known for ...

and

Edward L. Thorndike Edward Lee Thorndike (August 31, 1874 – August 9, 1949) was an American psychologist who spent nearly his entire career at Teachers College, Columbia University. His work on comparative psychology and the learning process led to the theory of c ...

. Public School No. 116 in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

is named for Elizabeth Farrell.The Elizabeth Farrell School, P. S. 116K
website.

References

External links

* *Judy Duchan

* ttps://www.nytimes.com/1913/01/27/archives/schools-ask-help-with-defectives-courts-hospitals-and-immigration.html New York Times article on Farrell's workJanuary 27, 1913 *Kimberly Ellen Kode
"Guarding the sacred fires: Elizabeth E. Farrell's contributions to the creation of special education in New York City"
(PhD diss., Marquette University 2001). {{DEFAULTSORT:Farrell, Elizabeth E. 1870 births 1932 deaths Special education in the United States Teachers College, Columbia University alumni