Seattle's Women Teachers of the Interwar Years

Book excerpt: In Seattle's Women Teachers of the Interwar Years, Doris Pieroth describes the contributions of a remarkable group of women who dominated the Seattle public school system in the early years of the twentieth century and helped to produce well-educated citizens who were responsible for the widespread philanthropic, volunteer, and municipal activities that came to characterize the city. While most publications on the history of education have emphasized theory or administration, Pieroth focuses on individual teachers. Set against the backdrop of a developing city, the book provides vivid portraits of educated, strong, ambitious women making successful careers at a time when job opportunities for women were very limited. Pieroth interviewed as many of these women as she could find, and quotes from the interviews enhance her lively, well-written narrative. Using details drawn from local newspapers and school publications, she demonstrates that the influence of this cohort of women made modern Seattle the livable place that it remains today. Seattle's Women Teachers of the Interwar Years is a significant contribution to the history of Seattle and the region, to women's history, and to the history of education.