Ellen Gates Starr

Definition

Ellen Gates Starr was an American social reformer and activist, co-founder of Hull House in Chicago with Jane Addams. She worked to improve the lives of immigrants and the poor through education and social services.

Analogy

Think of Ellen Gates Starr as a superhero without a cape. Just like superheroes fight crime, she fought against poverty and injustice. Instead of superpowers, her weapons were education and social services.

Related terms

Jane Addams: An American settlement activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator and author who co-founded Hull House with Ellen Gates Starr.

Hull House: A settlement house in the United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. It was one of the first establishments in America dedicated to improving the lives of the working class.

Settlement Houses: These were institutions that provided educational and social services to poor people. They became centers for reform in women's and labor rights.