Henry George School of Social Science
June 13, 1939. My mother is no longer the 17-year old stepping into the world of work. She has already joined the workforce with her practical skills. And yet, here is another certificate that shows she is continuing to learn.
This certificate, from the Concord, NH extension of the Henry George School of Social Science, states that she had completed the prescribed course in fundamental economics and social philosophy.
The Henry George School was founded in 1932 in New York City during the depths of the Great Depression. It was created to make education in economics accessible to everyday people, often offered free or at a very low cost.
The school was based on the ideas of Henry George, a 19th century economist whose work was widely discussed in his time. His focus was not on replacing the economic system, but on improving it by looking at how opportunity, productivity and access to resources could function more effectively within a market-based society.
By the 1930s, during the Great Depression, many people were seeking a better understanding of how the economy worked. Programs, like what my mother took, were part of a larger movement in adult education that aimed to give people practical knowledge and a clearer understanding of the forces shaping their daily lives.
I can picture my mother in this classroom where ideas are being explored. This must have been in the evening or on a Saturday, because by 1939, my mother was already working full time.
There is something deeply meaningful about this. At nineteen, she was not only preparing to make a living she was thinking about how the world works and how it might be better. She took the opportunity presented to her. Was it out of curiosity? I do not know but I do believe she cared to make herself and the world a better place.
Before the age of 20, my mother was a young woman who learned how to work and took the time to understand the world she was stepping into. Through these certificates, I begin to see not just what she did, but also who she was becoming.
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