Helen Valeska Bary (1888 - June 22, 1973) was an American

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

and helped establish the U.S. government social welfare administration. She campaigned for suffrage at the state and local level. In 1914, she worked for the California Industrial Welfare Commission investigating the working conditions of women laundry workers, which she wrote about in her report, "The Employment of Women and Minors in the Laundry Industry of California" in 1917. Shortly after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she worked in

Porto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

for the Federal Children's Bureau as a researcher and social reformer, reporting on the living conditions of indigent and homeless children on the island. In her 1921 paper, "The Trend of Child Welfare Work", published in the ''

North American Review The ''North American Review'' (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States. It was founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others. It was published continuously until 1940, after which it was inactive until revived a ...

'', Bary wrote, "The greatest enemy of childhood has been the fatalistic complacency with which every phase of child life has been regarded". Bary worked for the federal Social Security Board (SSB) since its inception in 1935 during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. She worked there until 1948, representing the SSB in western states, helping them to develop social welfare reform plans in order to receive federal money. Shortly before her death in 1973, Bary was one of twelve women interviewed by Jacqueline Parker for her work on the ''Suffragist Oral History Project'' for the

UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of Californi ...

Oral History Center, "in order to document their activities in behalf of passage of the Nineteenth Amendment and their continuing careers as leaders of movements for welfare and labor reform, world peace, and the passage of the

Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bary, Helen Valeska Suffragists from California 1888 births 1973 deaths Social security in the United States American social reformers

See also

References