The Social Vision of Alfred T. White

The Social Vision of Alfred T. White

Essays by Lisa Ackerman, Olive Hoogenboom, Tom La Farge, Kathy Madden, Francis Morrone, Benjamin Warnke and Sally Yarmolinsky. Edited by Wendy Walker.

A book of essays about the little known but immensely important 19th century Brooklyn social visionary.

The Social Vision of Alfred T. White is the first full-length study of the work of Alfred Tredway White (1846-1921). Largely forgotten today, his name known only to specialists, Alfred White at his death was eulogized as “the great heart and master-mind of Brooklyn’s better self” for his many forward-looking innovations in low-income housing and in promoting the welfare of poor children, for his ability to enlist others to this work, and for his insistence that rapidly growing Brooklyn retain a sense of community values. At a time when the divide between rich and poor is increasing, this book highlights the important work of this turn-of-the-century social visionary.