Louise W. Knight is the author of two biographies, Citizen: Jane Addams and The Struggle for Democracy, about Addams’s formative years, and Jane Addams: Spirit in Action, the first full life biography in 37 years. Knight also works with nonprofits and foundations on board development, and program planning and evaluation. She lives in Evanston, IL.
The nation’s oldest settlement house is closing. Is Jane Addams’s method—having citizens of different socioeconomic classes living among each other—a legacy that we should bring back to life?