Relentless Reformer: Josephine Roche and Progressivism in Twentieth-Century America

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Description

Josephine Roche (1886-1976) was a progressive activist, New Deal policymaker, and businesswoman. As a pro-labor and feminist member of Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, she shaped the founding legislation of the U.S. welfare state and generated the national conversation about health-care policy that Americans are still having today. In this g

Reviews

"Muncy offers readers a biography of Progressive woman reformer-entrepreneur Josephine Roche, who has been largely overlooked by historians for her many contributions throughout the 20th century ... [A] fine book."--Choice "Relentless Reformer is a very necessary addition to the reading list of any student of the history of the United States of America. For those of a non-academic nature it is a jolly good read. It takes a worthy place in the comprehensive series Politics and Society in Twentieth-century America."--Don Vincent, Open History Journal "In her exemplary biography, Muncy never flinches from telling us the bad along with the good, drawing a portrait of a whole human being with profound lessons to teach."--Alice Kessler-Harris, Women's Review of Books "A model of biography as social and political history, Relentless Reformer tells the compelling story of one life as it shaped and exemplified a larger public life."--Barbara Melosh, Journal of American History "Muncy set out to return Roche to the prominence she deserves, while at the same time demonstrating how and why women's contributions are often ignored and or forgotten... She succeeded in accomplishing this, while writing an engaging and comprehensive biography."--Katherine G. Aiken, American Historical Review

Author Bio

Robyn Muncy is associate professor of history at the University of Maryland. She is the author of Creating a Female Dominion in American Reform, 1890-1935 and the coauthor of Engendering America: A Documentary History, 1865 to the Present.