Local Civics with National Purpose

This book examines the development of civic education in the United States through the lives of two teachers at Shortridge High School (SHS) in Indianapolis around 1900. After situating civic education at the turn-of-the-century, the book describes the career of Laura Donnanher influences, teaching, extracurriculars, and civic lifethrough the lens of her unique epistemology, shaped by negotiating the gendered ideologies of her era. Then, the book re-examines Arthur W. Dunns career, focusing on his ten years at SHS, and the influence of Donnan on his popular community civics curriculum and subsequently the 1916 report The Social Studies in Secondary Education. Previous scholars have overlooked Dunns time at SHS, viewing it simply as a stepping stone for the progressive educators career. This book argues that Dunns time at SHS was pivotal to his career due to influential colleagues, primarily Donnan. To conclude, Clark discusses the implications of Donnans epistemology in shaping civic education in the United States.