My dear Miss Coolidge:
I thank you very much for your report on the Barnett Fellowship and on your conversation with Dame Henrietta. The latter was very characteristic of the dear lady.
I should very much rather send a man for our first fellowship to England, and thus try to establish a standard of fellowship work along the lines we contemplated when we raised the money. I do not wish, of course, to press any special candidate, but William Byron, who has applied, could do all of things which were suggested, certainly lecturing or conferring once a week on American Social Institutions. He lectures very well and has been holding large classes on that general theme in Northwestern University for several years. Miss Boyd can tell you of his lectures to her students on Social Psychology, etc., which were very well done. He has his first degree from the University of Pennsylvania, is a graduate of the School of Social Service Administration of the University of Chicago, and is on the faculty of Northwestern University. He has lived at Hull House for seven or eight years, and for the last three years has been practical assistant head resident.
Graham Taylor is, as you may know, seventy-seven years old. I doubt if he would care to go, and his age would defeat, I think, the purposes we had in mind when the Fellowship was established. I should hate to change the original plan so completely until we had tried, at least, to carry out what we stated as our object. If Mr. Byron is the successful candidate, Dame Henrietta would have to concede January instead of September. (I am sure Mr. [Mallon] could arrange residence at Toynbee then, and nine or ten months' work would be the usual academic year). Mr. Byron is almost ready for his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago and his general theme on the treatment of delinquent boys would be enriched from the English study, stressing of course the settlement method, which should make quite a stunning report.
Would ↑not↓ Miss Dewar's study of American Settlements be much more like what Miss Peck did in the European Settlements? I should be very glad to help on bringing her over and to secure hospitality at the various settlements here, but it would seem to me a pity to call that the Barnett Fellowship, at least for the first one.
I may have received a misleading impression from Barnett House. I have been there twice and once more to a meeting of the Board, and I hoped we might attach our Fellowship to their requirements as well as to the settlements. I hope there has not been a break between the two sets of people.
I am sending a copy of this letter to Mr. Kennedy, although [page 2] I hope to have the pleasure of seeing him this month, and perhaps we can talk the matter over. I realize, of course, that the vote is with the Executive Committee of the National Federation, and I am only writing thus fully because of my great interest in the matter, which I know you share.
Hoping to see you in September, unless some happy chance should bring you to Maine before that time, I am
Faithfully yours,
Jane Addams. [signed]
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