Louisa L. Schuyler

Born into privilege, Louisa Lee Schuyler was a lifelong advocate for the welfare of the disadvantaged. In 1872, she founded and led the State Charities Aid Association, which monitored New York State poorhouses, advocated to improve abysmal conditions, and secured passage of laws for the state-mandated care of children and the mentally ill. Among her numerous humanitarian activities, she coordinated women’s aid work during the Civil War and created the first training school for nurses in the United States.