Adelaide Steele Baylor

Baylor was born in Wabash, Indiana, the daughter of James Craig Baylor and Susannah Steele Baylor. She graduated from Wabash High School, attended the University of Michigan, earned bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago in 1897, and a master's degree from Columbia University in 1917. She received an honorary doctorate from the Stout Institute in Wisconsin in 1928.{{Cite journal |last1=Sexton |first1=Neva |last2=Roloff |first2=Irene |date=Spring 1958 |title=Adelaide Steele Baylor: Leader in Homemaking Education |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_delta-kappa-gamma-bulletin_spring-1958_24_3/page/30/mode/2up?q=Adelaide+Baylor |journal=The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin |pages=30–37 |via=Internet Archive}}{{Cite news |date=1935-12-19 |title=Dr. Adelaide Baylor Dies in Washington |pages=1 |work=The Indianapolis Star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100837879/dr-adelaide-baylor-dies-in-washington/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Baylor was a teacher and school principal as a young woman. She was superintendent of schools for the city of Wabash, Indiana.{{Cite book |last1=Indiana Department of Public Instruction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w5SgAAAAMAAJ&dq=Adelaide+S.+Baylor&pg=PA454 |title=Education in Indiana: An Outline of the Growth of the Common School System, Together with Statements Relating to the Condition of Secondary and Higher Education in the State and a Brief History of the Educational Exhibit. Prepared for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Held at Saint Louis, May 1 to November 30, 1904 |last2=Cotton |first2=Fassett Allen |date=1904 |publisher=W. B. Burford |pages=454 |language=en}} She became assistant state superintendent of public instruction in Indiana, and state supervisor for home economics education.{{Cite news |date=1913-07-25 |title=Lectures Next Week |pages=2 |work=Pittsburgh Daily Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100839748/lectures-next-week/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1917-05-19 |title=Gets Place in Office of Public Instruction |pages=31 |work=The Indianapolis News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100839984/gets-place-in-office-of-public/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |via=Newspapers.com}} In 1913 she addressed the Tenth Conference of Superintendents and Principals of American Schools for the Deaf, when they met in Indianapolis.{{Cite journal |date=September 1913 |title=Proceedings of the Tenth Conference |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fAJAAQAAMAAJ&dq=Adelaide+S.+Baylor&pg=RA1-PA311 |journal=American Annals of the Deaf |volume=58 |pages=311–313}}

For twelve years, from 1923 to 1935, Baylor was chief of the Home Economics Education Service in the United States Office of Education in Washington.{{Cite news |date=1935-12-19 |title=Dr. Adelaide S. Baylor Dies; Department Head in Federal Office of Education |pages=24 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100816486/dr-adelaide-s-baylor-dies-department/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |via=Newspapers.com}} She testified before congressional hearings on vocational education in 1928 and 1934.{{Cite book |last=United States Congress Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SBgvAAAAMAAJ&dq=Adelaide+S.+Baylor&pg=PA27 |title=Development of Vocational Education in the Several States: Hearing Before the Committee on Education, House of Representatives, Seventieth Congress, First Session, on H.R. 9201 (H.R. 12241), a Bill to Provide for the Further Development of Vocational Education in the Several States, February 7, March 20 and 21, 1928 |date=1928 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=27–30 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=United States Congress House Committee on Education |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8NFAQAAMAAJ&dq=Adelaide+S.+Baylor&pg=PA21 |title=Vocational Education: Hearings Before the Committee on Education, House of Representatives, Seventy-third Congress, Second Session, on H.R. 7059, to Provide for the Further Development of Vocational Education in the Several States and Territories, and for Other Purposes. February 8, 1934 |date=1934 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=21–25 |language=en}} Her work involved extensive travel and public speaking;{{Cite news |date=1923-06-22 |title=Recreation in U.S. Homes is Necessary, Says Expert; Budget System Explained |pages=8 |work=The Anaconda Standard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100839631/recreation-in-us-homes-is-necessary/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1924-03-30 |title=Federal Chief to Address Home Economics Workers Meeting Here |pages=25 |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100839432/federal-chief-to-address-home-economics/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |via=Newspapers.com}} according to one account, "After 1923 she visited every state in the Union three or four times, Hawaii twice, and Puerto Rico once." She retired in October 1935, a few weeks before her death,{{Cite journal |date=December 1935 |title=17 Years of Home Economics |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_school-life_1935-12_21_4/page/98/mode/2up?q=Adelaide+Baylor |journal=School Life |pages=98–99 |via=Internet Archive}} and was succeeded by Florence Fallgatter as chief.

Baylor was secretary of the National Council of Education,{{Cite news |date=1916-07-19 |title=Adelaide Steele Baylor Honored by Educators |pages=2 |work=Evansville Courier and Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100839852/adelaide-steele-baylor-honored-by/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=August 1, 1923 |title=Dr. Crabbe Is Named Member of National Educational Council |pages=1 |work=The Mirror |url=https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=MRR19230801-01.2.12&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA--------0------ |access-date=May 1, 2022 |via=Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection}} vice-president of the National Education Association's Department of Elementary Education,{{Cite book |last=States |first=National Education Association of the United |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xnpgAAAAIAAJ&dq=Adelaide+S.+Baylor&pg=PA543 |title=Proceedings |date=1908 |pages=543 |language=en}} and the first woman to hold a life membership in the American Vocational Association.{{Cite journal |date=February 2002 |title=A New Association is Born |url=https://www.acteonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/A-New-Association-is-Born.pdf |journal=Techniques |pages=24}}

Baylor wrote articles for professional publications, including Journal of Education{{Cite journal |last=Baylor |first=Adelaide Steele |date=July 1910 |title=English as she is Taught |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/002205741007200214 |journal=Journal of Education |language=en |volume=72 |issue=2 |pages=38 |doi=10.1177/002205741007200214 |s2cid=188113072 |issn=0022-0574}} and Journal of Home Economics.Baylor, Adelaide S. "Training Leaders for Education in Relation to Home and Family Life." Journal of Home Economics 23 (1931): 411-417. She also wrote textbooks and children's books, including Adventures of Miss Tabby Gray (1913) and Young America's First Book (1919).

• "English as She is Taught" (1910)
• Natural One-Book Geography (1911, with George L. Roberts and Frederick J. Breeze){{Cite book |last1=Roberts |first1=George L. |url=https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/HstrcTxtbks/id/32279 |title=Natural One-Book Geography |last2=Breeze |first2=Frederick J. |last3=Baylor |first3=Adelaide S. |publisher=American Book Company |year=1911 |pages=3 (title page) |via=Ball State University, Digital Media Repository, Historic Textbooks collection}}
• "Consolidation of Rural Schools" (1912){{Cite journal |last=Baylor |first=Adelaide Steele |date=1912 |title=Consolidation of Rural Schools |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ErTqWIU5rrkC&dq=Adelaide+Steele+Baylor&pg=RA1-PA21 |journal=Current Educational Topics |volume=15 |pages=21}}
• Adventures of Miss Tabby Gray (1913, illustrated by Josephine Bruce)
• "Rural Education as an Element in the Strength of the Nation" (1917){{Cite journal |last=Baylor |first=Adelaide Steele |date=August 1917 |title=Rural Education as an Element in the Strength of the Nation |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/002205741708600617 |journal=Journal of Education |language=en |volume=86 |issue=6 |pages=153 |doi=10.1177/002205741708600617 |s2cid=188520343 |issn=0022-0574}}
• Young America's First Book (1919, with Emma Colbert){{Cite book |last1=Baylor |first1=Adelaide Steele |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RqKltgAACAAJ |title=Young America's First Book |last2=Colbert |first2=Emma |date=1919 |publisher=Century Company |language=en}}
• "Training for the Vocation of Home Making" (1928){{Cite journal |last=Baylor |first=Adelaide Steele |date=February 1928 |title=Training for the Vocation of Home Making |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_afl-cio-american-federationist_1928-02_35_2/page/176/mode/2up?q=Adelaide+Steel+Baylor |journal=American Federationist |volume=35 |pages=176–180 |via=Internet Archive}}
• "Training Leaders for Education in Relation to Home and Family Life" (1931)

Baylor died in Washington, D.C. in 1935, aged 75 years.{{Cite news |date=1935-12-21 |title=Baylor Funeral Services are Held in Washington |pages=3 |work=The Indianapolis Star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100815793/baylor-funeral-services-are-held-in/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |via=Newspapers.com}} One of her speeches is included in the anthology Speeches of American women, 1920-1960 (2003). In 2014, she was in the first class of inductees into the Wabash City Schools Hall of Distinction.{{Cite news |last=Armentrout |first=Emily |date=August 26, 2014 |title=Wabash City Schools inducts members into Hall of Distinction |work=The Paper |url=http://www.thepaperofwabash.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1409063280&ucat=1&template=Stories& |access-date=May 1, 2022}}

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Category:1860 births

Category:1935 deaths

Category:People from Wabash, Indiana

Category:American educators

Category:Home economists

Category:University of Chicago alumni