Nellie A. Goodhue (September 20, 1869 – July 19, 1957) made pioneering contributions to the education of handicapped and exceptional children. Working with the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

Goodhue participated in studies to evaluate the background and educational abilities of children with special needs and conducted clinics to assist in the development of special classes.

Early life

Goodhue was born on September 20, 1869, in

Northfield, Minnesota Northfield is a city in Dakota and Rice counties in the State of Minnesota. It is mostly in Rice County, with a small portion in Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 census. History Northfield was platted in 1856 by John W ...

, the daughter of Daniel Goodhue (1832–1902) and Ellen E. Stanton Goodhue (1844–1909).

Career

She was director of the Child Study Department for the Seattle public schools and instructor for the

Normal School A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

. In 1910 she taught the first class for Seattle students with mental disability. In 1912, working with the

, the Seattle Board of Education and the Cascade School, Goodhue participated in an extensive study on handicapped children evaluating their backgrounds, health status, learning abilities, motor skills, and other factors. Running extensive testing, the program was designed to develop training programs for disabled children and establish benchmarks for ongoing assessment. In an effort to share their information, Goodhue presented seminars to assist in the development of special education classes. The needs of misfit pupils always interested her and when the Child Study Department of the Seattle public schools was organized, she became its first director in 1914. From 1916 to 1925 Goodhue led an unsuccessful campaign to establish a Western Washington Institution for the Feeble-minded. Because the Seattle School Board had a policy of excluding disabled students from public education, Goodhue campaigned for their inclusion and won the battle to include all students with IQs above 50. The department served 6,970 pupils during 1926–1927. She was on the Board of Directors of the Local Chapter of the American Red Cross. She was a member of the Soroptimist Club, State Association of the Executive Women in Education, State Mental Hygiene Society. She was the first principal of Washington School and made pioneering contributions to the education of handicapped and exceptional children. The Shoreline Health and Guidance Center, at 13720 Roosevelt Way N., constructed in 1946 as an administrative building by the Shoreline School District, was turned into a center for mentally handicapped children in 1954. Against a policy of the Seattle School District policy that forbid to name school after living person, the school was dedicated to Goodhue. Nellie Goodhue School closed in June 1961.

Personal life

She moved to Washington in 1908 and lived at 1407 E. 45th St.,

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

. She died on July 19, 1957, and is buried at Oaklawn Cemetery, Northfield.

Legacy

The Nellie Goodhue Group Homes at 1707 N 125th St, Seattle, provide staff supports for activities of daily living for people with intellectual disabilities.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodhue, Nellie A. 1869 births 1957 deaths People from Northfield, Minnesota 20th-century American educators Educators from Minnesota 20th-century American women educators Educators from Seattle