ABSTRACT
On January 1, 1901, Americans enthusiastically greeted the 20th century, proclaiming it a time of boundless possibility. Although many prophecies proved far-fetched, the general sentiment was contagious. From the standpoint of social change, the opening decades of the new era were among the most momentous in history. Reform touched on many aspects of this era, but few issues were affected as much as education. In response to the times, new institutional mechanisms were sought to mediate social change. With respect to schools, the response was a wave of new ideas and practical improvements, all called "progressive." These reforms included many different types of innovation, some quite contradictory in spirit and intent. Like the progressive movement in politics, historians have linked progressive education to crusading journalists who identified problems in the schools. Joseph Meyer Rice was a pediatrician who toured the country in the 1890s examining children and classrooms in big city school systems.
