Edith Abbott to Jane Addams, July 25, 1911

GREEN HALL
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

July 25, 1911.

Dear Miss Addams,-

I have thought over this letter and talked it over with Miss Breckinridge, and we agree that we have no one from the School whom we can recommend, who is an ideal candidate for this most difficult position. We have a young woman in this year's class, Thyrza Barton, a graduate of the University of Chicago, who is both promising in her work and a very attractive girl, personally. How she would be, living with her all the time, I do not know. She is not worth more than $900 I should say at present, because she is inexperienced -- she did all of the field work last year very well and thoroughly with especial emphasis on the United Charities side. She has done a good deal of work, I believe, in the University of Chicago Settlement, but her home is in Chicago and she has never actually lived in the settlement. At present, she is planning, I believe, to go to work for the United Charities in the fall as a regular visitor. Mrs. Briggs thinks she is "superintendent material" -- she seems to have a good deal of executive ability. [page 2]

There is also Miss Bradley, a sister of the Mr. Bradley who married the daughter of Mr. Crane. She was at the House several times for dinner and such last winter and you may possibly remember her. She is older than Miss Barton, a graduate of the University of California with eight years' experience in high school teaching. She lived at the Chicago Commons during the winter, and in general she is very like Miss Barton as to qualifications and promising. I rather think Miss Barton would be the pleasanter person to live with as Miss Bradley does not seem to have much sense of humor. Neither Miss Breckinridge or I think that either of these girls <is really ideal care> would really do. Mrs. Simkovitch evidently wants some one with much experience <with experience>, some one <who has already been tried out> as I said, more like Ethel Dewey; and of course our graduates at the School are most of them still new, and while they are promising one cannot be so sure of them. I wish we might send some one on, it would please G. Taylor most awfully.

With affectionate greetings,

Always faithfully yours,

Miss Jane Addams,
Bar Harbor,
Maine.