Louise Stevens Bryant (1885–1956) was an American

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

specialist, writer, editor and publicist. She was especially involved in the fields of

human sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

and

maternal health Maternal health is the health of people during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. In most cases, maternal health encompasses the health care dimensions of family planning, Pre-conception counseling, preconception, Prenatal care, pr ...

, and was the executive secretary of

Robert Latou Dickinson Robert Latou Dickinson (February 21, 1861 – November 29, 1950) was an American obstetrician and gynecologist, surgeon, maternal health educator, artist, sculptor and medical illustrator, research scientist, author, and public health educator. ...

's Committee on Maternal Health from 1927 to 1935.

Early life and education

Louise Stevens Bryant was born in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

to American parents in 1885. Bryant attended

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1908. She then worked at the

Russell Sage Foundation The Russell Sage Foundation is an American non-profit organisation established by Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, Margaret Olivia Sage in 1907 for “the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States.” It was named after her re ...

, where she worked in school reform, followed by the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, where she worked in

Lightner Witmer Lightner Witmer (June 28, 1867 – July 19, 1956) was an American psychologist. He introduced the term " clinical psychology" and is often credited with founding the field that it describes. Witmer created the world's first "psychological clinic" ...

clinical psychology Clinical psychology is an integration of human science, behavioral science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well ...

clinic for children and simultaneously studied for a PhD in medical science, which she received in 1914.

Career

After completing her PhD, she worked at the Philadelphia Municipal Court, first as chief of the criminal department's division for women, and then, during the war, as a statistician for the chief of staff. Bryant served on the Statistical Bureau of the War Industries Board in Washington, D.C for one year, from 1918 to 1919. She wrote statistical reports on food supplies for the U.S. Army and for the Allies. She also worked with the statistical branch of the United States Chiefs of Staff during this period. Then, from 1919 to 1923 she worked for the

Girl Scouts of the USA Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, a year after she ...

as the educational and publications secretary. In 1923, Bryant joined the public health field as an employee of the New York-based Committee on Dispensary Development. In 1927 she was hired by

as the executive secretary of the National Committee on Maternal Health (CMH). During Bryant's time as secretary, she edited numerous CMH publications, including ''Control of Conception'', a 1931 handbook of contraceptive techniques, and other academic studies on sexology, contraception, abortion and sterility. She left the CMH in 1935 after a disagreement with Dickinson. Bryant served as the American representative of the English sexologist

Havelock Ellis Henry Havelock Ellis (2 February 1859 – 8 July 1939) was an English physician, eugenicist, writer, Progressivism, progressive intellectual and social reformer who studied human sexuality. He co-wrote the first medical textbook in English on h ...

and helped him to negotiate the second American publication of his seven-volume work ''Studies in the Psychology of Sex'' in 1933. She worked as a publicist for the

American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances Justice, equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide Social net ...

from 1938 to 1952.

Personal life

Louise Stevens Bryant married Arthur Bryant in 1909; they divorced in 1912. Bryant's romantic partner for almost 35 years was Lura Beam, a writer and teacher. They met in the 1920s while both were working for the CMH. After Bryant's death in 1956, Beam published a biography about her titled ''Bequest From a Life; a Biography of Louise Stevens Bryant'' (1963).

Death

Bryant died of a heart ailment at Bronxville Hospital on August 19, 1956. She was 70 years old.

Works

Source: * ''School Feeding, Its History and Practice at Home and Abroad'' (1913) Philadelphia and London: J.B. Lippincott Co. ith Philander Priestly Claxton* ''The Game'' (1916) Alexandria, Va.: Alexander Street Press * ''Educational Work of Girl Scouts'' (1921) Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office * ''Better Doctoring, Less Dependency'' (1927) New York * ''Control of Contraception'' (1932) London: Baillière & Co ith Robert Latou Dickinson

References

External links

Louise Stevens Bryant
papers at the

Sophia Smith Collection The Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College is an internationally recognized repository of manuscripts, photographs, periodicals and other primary sources in women's history. General One of the largest recognized repositories of manuscripts, a ...

, Smith College Special Collections {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Louise Stevens 1885 births 1956 deaths 20th-century American non-fiction writers American editors American medical writers American women medical writers American publicists American LGBTQ writers American people in public health Smith College alumni University of Pennsylvania alumni 20th-century American women writers