Madison Capital Times Feb. 19, 1982
Survivors by the thousands
Her obituary in The Washington Post said that she "leaves no immediate survivors." But that was wrong. Katharine F. Lenroot, who died recently in Milwaukee at the age of 90, left survivors by the thousands.
As head of the U.S. Children's Bureau from 1934-1951, Miss Lenroot helped organize and direct some of the nation's major programs for children and mothers. These ranged from grants to states for maternal and child health service, aid to crippled children, and child welfare support, to child labor protection and infant care programs for the wives of servicemen.
When she began working for the agency in 1915, an estimated 100 babies died during the first year of life for every 1000 born; 61 out of 10,000 mothers died in childbirth. By 1949, infant mortality was down to 29 per 1000 births and maternal mortality had declined to 8 per 10,000. Miss Lenroot's work was an important factor in the reversal.
A Superior native who graduated from the University of Wisconsin, she was the living embodiment of the state's Progressive heritage. As President Harry Truman said of her when she retired: "The children of this country are better off for your having been in government."
Survivors by the thousands
Her obituary in The Washington Post said that she "leaves no immediate survivors." But that was wrong. Katharine F. Lenroot, who died recently in Milwaukee at the age of 90, left survivors by the thousands.
As head of the U.S. Children's Bureau from 1934-1951, Miss Lenroot helped organize and direct some of the nation's major programs for children and mothers. These ranged from grants to states for maternal and child health service, aid to crippled children, and child welfare support, to child labor protection and infant care programs for the wives of servicemen.
When she began working for the agency in 1915, an estimated 100 babies died during the first year of life for every 1000 born; 61 out of 10,000 mothers died in childbirth. By 1949, infant mortality was down to 29 per 1000 births and maternal mortality had declined to 8 per 10,000. Miss Lenroot's work was an important factor in the reversal.
A Superior native who graduated from the University of Wisconsin, she was the living embodiment of the state's Progressive heritage. As President Harry Truman said of her when she retired: "The children of this country are better off for your having been in government."
Madison Capital Times Feb. 19, 1982
Survivors by the thousands
Her obituary in The Washington Post said that she "leaves no immediate survivors." But that was wrong. Katharine F. Lenroot, who died recently in Milwaukee at the age of 90, left survivors by the thousands.
As head of the U.S. Children's Bureau from 1934-1951, Miss Lenroot helped organize and direct some of the nation's major programs for children and mothers. These ranged from grants to states for maternal and child health service, aid to crippled children, and child welfare support, to child labor protection and infant care programs for the wives of servicemen.
When she began working for the agency in 1915, an estimated 100 babies died during the first year of life for every 1000 born; 61 out of 10,000 mothers died in childbirth. By 1949, infant mortality was down to 29 per 1000 births and maternal mortality had declined to 8 per 10,000. Miss Lenroot's work was an important factor in the reversal.
A Superior native who graduated from the University of Wisconsin, she was the living embodiment of the state's Progressive heritage. As President Harry Truman said of her when she retired: "The children of this country are better off for your having been in government."
Survivors by the thousands
Her obituary in The Washington Post said that she "leaves no immediate survivors." But that was wrong. Katharine F. Lenroot, who died recently in Milwaukee at the age of 90, left survivors by the thousands.
As head of the U.S. Children's Bureau from 1934-1951, Miss Lenroot helped organize and direct some of the nation's major programs for children and mothers. These ranged from grants to states for maternal and child health service, aid to crippled children, and child welfare support, to child labor protection and infant care programs for the wives of servicemen.
When she began working for the agency in 1915, an estimated 100 babies died during the first year of life for every 1000 born; 61 out of 10,000 mothers died in childbirth. By 1949, infant mortality was down to 29 per 1000 births and maternal mortality had declined to 8 per 10,000. Miss Lenroot's work was an important factor in the reversal.
A Superior native who graduated from the University of Wisconsin, she was the living embodiment of the state's Progressive heritage. As President Harry Truman said of her when she retired: "The children of this country are better off for your having been in government."
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
