The Founding and Evolution of The Infant Welfare Society of Evanston
a presentation by Arden Handler, DrPH

Tuesday, September 12, 2023, from 12 pm to 1 pm (Doors open at 11:45 am)
In-person event
At the Evanston History Center
225 Greenwood St, Evanston, IL
Seating is limited. Registration is required.
See below for tickets and registration information.
Free and open to all!

Join us for a lunchtime presentation by Dr. Arden Handler. Dr. Handler will discuss her research on the history of the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston (IWSE), founded in 1913 by volunteers who began distributing milk to impoverished families with infants and toddlers. By 1918, the society opened prenatal and pediatric health clinics in Evanston and provided home visits from nurses for disadvantaged families. As a result of these efforts, infant mortality in Evanston was reduced from 60 deaths per 1,000 births in 1918 to 31.2 in 1936.

Dr. Handler, an expert in Maternal and Child Health (MCH), will discuss IWSE’s evolution, within the context of a progressive maternalistic frame and an understanding of how the growth of local public health infrastructure was fundamental to the basis of action to address infant health during this period. She will also highlight the local-federal relationship and the complex dynamic of institutions dominated by middle-class white women and their association with the populations served in the development of the field of MCH.

Dr. Handler is the Director of the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health and a Professor in the Community Health Sciences division of the UIC School of Public Health. Her research career reflects her long-standing commitment to reducing inequities and improving the health of women, children, and families. Dr. Handler is a former member of the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality (SACIM) and is a nationally renowned leader in maternal and child health advocacy, policy, epidemiology, and public health system improvement. She is a 2021 recipient of a Title V/MCH Lifetime Achievement Award from the Health Services and Resources Administration of DHHS.

Ticketing

Registration is required.

To register as a member, please use the “RSVP” option to reserve your FREE member ticket.

A registration confirmation email will be sent to the email you registered with.

If you do not receive a confirmation email, please email Erin Hughes at ehughes@evanstonhistorycenter.org.