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“HONORING NATIONAL HISTORY DAY PARTICIPANT MIRIAM CARLSON” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1072 on June 17, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING NATIONAL HISTORY DAY PARTICIPANT MIRIAM CARLSON
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HON. DONALD A. MANZULLO
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Monday, June 17, 2002
Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Miriam Carlson, a home-schooled 9th grader from Rockford, Illinois. Miriam was selected from over 700,000 students from across the Nation to be one of 2,000 participants in the National History Day. This year's theme called for contestants to select a notable woman in history under the topic,
``Revolution, Reaction and Reform.'' Miriam's project was on the life of Julia Lathrop, entitled, ``Julia Lathrop: Mother to Uncle Sam's Children.''
I would like to extend my congratulations to Miriam on her hard work and dedication to this project and I wish her success in future endeavors. Here is her essay:
Julia Lathrop: Mother to Uncle Sam's Children
(By Miriam Carlson)
I wanted a project where I could find photos. My father had read about Julia Lathrop. He mentioned her to me and I became interested.
Julia Lathrop was born in Rockford and later returned to my hometown. What was exciting is that her second home, which she shared with her sister, is only three blocks from my house. A friend of mine lives in that house. Also, Julia Lathrop is buried in nearby Greenwood Cemetery. Here when I was younger, I took my first long bike rides when my father ran. I enjoyed researching someone with whom I have some connections.
My research began at the Rockford Public Library. I looked up Julia Lathrop, the Children's Bureau, Baby Week, Infants, and Department of Labor in the Reader's Guide to Periodicals. I grouped all my articles by journal and checked to see which sources the Rockford Library had. Next I looked up the same topics in the New York Times Index. Later I found these articles on microfilm.
Most of the journals I found at The University of Wisconsin. In five trips, I used the Memorial Library, the Historical Society Library, the Health Sciences Library, the Social Sciences Library, and the Steenbock Agriculture Library. I also used inter-library loan.
I visited the University of Illinois-Chicago to use their archive and to see Hull House. I watched a slide show about Jane Addams and the founding of Hull-House. At the archive, I found letters written to and by Julia Lathrop. I went to the Rockford College Archives. I copied her handwritten rough drafts of speeches and letters. I interviewed her niece. I also found Julia Lathrop's Childrens Bureau files in the National Archives.
In past years, I used vertical boards. This year I wanted something different. I had an idea of a project that would rotate. I had no idea how this would work. My father and I took a trip to my local hardware store I found a fixture that would attach to a base and spin. Basically this is what is inside a Lazy Susan.
Finally my father and I designed the panels. We took the dimensions and bought the insulation board and wood at the lumberyard.
I took notes and wrote summaries for the annotated bibliography. I made copies and wrote the labels. I then worked on the layout. My father helped cut the mat board on our 24-inch paper cutter. My mother helped with the word processing.
Julia Lathrop reacted to a problem that resulted from the Industrial Revolution. Children were suffering and dying because of this great change. She was especially concerned with the infant mortality rate.
My project explores Julia Lathrop's reaction to this Revolution and how she tried to create reforms that combated it. Her work began in Illinois, spread to the entire United States, and eventually worldwide.
Julia Lathrop worked to lower infant and maternal mortality, increase maternal education, and reduce child labor, all the harsh consequences of the Industrial Revolution.
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