American · Activism · Politics · Science
Emily Greene Balch
January 8, 1867 — January 9, 1961Made for kids · Grade 3–4
Grade 3–45 min read≈ 511 words
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Her story
Emily Greene Balch was born on January 8, 1867, in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Her father was a lawyer, and her mother had been a teacher. Emily's family loved learning and helping others. This helped Emily grow up caring about fairness and doing good.
When Emily was young, not many women could go to college. She was lucky and worked hard. She went to Bryn Mawr College and finished in 1889. Later, she studied in Paris, France. Learning in two different countries helped her understand many kinds of people and problems.
Emily became very interested in how poor people and workers lived in cities. She wanted to help immigrants, too. Immigrants are people who move from one country to live in another. She helped start Denison House in Boston. This was a special place called a settlement house, where people could learn, get help, and work together to make life better.
For about twenty years, Emily taught economics and sociology at Wellesley College. Economics is the study of money and jobs. Sociology is the study of how people live together in groups. Emily was one of the few women teaching college at that time.
Emily also cared deeply about peace. When World War I started, she spoke out against war. Many people did not like this. In 1918, Wellesley College let her go because of her views. This shows how hard it was to stand up for peace back then.
Even though she lost her job, Emily did not give up. She helped start a group called the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Emily also worked on problems like unfair treatment of minorities and issues caused by nationalism. Nationalism means caring only about your own country, sometimes too much. Emily thought this could cause fights between countries. In 1946, Emily won the Nobel Peace Prize. This is one of the highest honors in the world. She shared the prize with a man named John R. Mott. Emily was only the second American woman to ever win this prize. Even though the U.S. government once thought she was too radical, the world now saw her as a hero for peace. Because she was sick, Emily could not go to the ceremony in 1946. She gave her speech later, in 1948, in Norway. She gave away much of her prize money to peace groups. This shows she cared more about helping others than about being famous. Emily never married and never had children. Instead, she spent her life working for peace and fairness. She had close friends who also worked for peace, like Jane Addams. Together, they believed women could help make the world better. Emily Greene Balch died on January 9, 1961, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was 94 years old. She died just one day after her birthday. Today, people remember Emily as a brave woman who used her knowledge to help others. She showed that women could make a big difference in the world, even when it was hard. Her work for peace continues to inspire people today.
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Quick quiz
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1. Where was Emily Greene Balch born?
2. What did Emily help start in Boston to help poor people and immigrants?
3. Why did Emily lose her teaching job at Wellesley College?
4. What special award did Emily win in 1946?