ABSTRACT
The drive to obtain federal aid for secondary schools was a major thrust of the early vocational education movement. Following the failures of the Davis Dolliver Bill in 1910 and the Page-Wilson Bill of 1912, vocational education proponents in Congress succeeded in passing a resolution that provided for the appointment of a national commission. 1 The nine people appointed to the Commission were charged with investigating the subject of national aid to vocational education and making recommendations to Congress no later than June 1 of that year, 1914. 2 The Commission’s hearings, their findings which were synthesized in the proposed Smith-Hughes legislation, and the subsequent floor debates over program definitions and funding, constitute a fascinating and significant chapter in the history of vocational training for women. They were significant because they provided a forum for open discussion between people with conflicting perspectives on appropriate vocational programs for young women. Moreover, the dialogue resulted in funding which substantially influenced vocational education programs in schools throughout the United States. The following chapter explores the discussion surrounding the formulation of guidelines for vocational programs for young women and tells the story of the interest groups, personalities, and perspectives which informed the dialogue and subsequent federal policy.
