Eleanor H. Little Papers

Eleanor H. Little was born on 9 December 1885, in Media, Pennsylvania. She lived in Pennsylvania until entering Wellesley College, where she received a B.A. in History in 1908. After graduation, Little worked as a matron at Sleighton Farms, a women's correctional institution near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until 1913. She attended Columbia University and received a Master's of Art degree in Sociology in 1915. Afterward, Little worked as a parole officer and psychologist for the Clinton Farms for Women, another correctional institution, in Clinton, New Jersey. Her major areas of professional activity included social work, guidance, and teaching; later in her career, she was interested in industrial engineering, industrial relations, and government service.

After leaving her position at Clinton Farms, Little moved into the realm of industry and worked for the U.S. Rubber Company in New Haven, Connecticut, where she was involved first in teacher, and later in industrial engineering, including planning job classifications. She stayed with U.S. Rubber until 1929, when the plant in New Haven closed. She transferred to the main office in New York in 1930.

In 1931, Little turned to government service. She became Secretary for the Connecticut Unemployment Commission. By 1933, with the creation of the Connecticut Emergency Relief Commission by Governor Wilbur Cross, she became secretary and later administrator of this agency. Little was responsible for administering the entire statewide relief program until 1937.

Little was elected representative to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1941 and again in 1945, where she served on two committees as chair: the Personnel Committee and the Public Welfare and Humane Institutions Committee. In addition to these responsibilities, she began volunteer work, and was connected with the State Farms and Department of Corrections from 1946 to 1969. Little also served as officer in various organizations: the League of Women Voters, the AAUW, the Guilford Board of Education, and the Wellesley Alumnae Association. A long-time resident of Guilford, Connecticut>, Miss Little died 15 March 1986.