Rose H. Alschuler (1887–1979)

Rose Haas Alschuler was born in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Vassar College and the University of Chicago, from which she graduated in 1907. That same year, she married Alfred S. Alschuler, an architect, with whom she had five children. When the children were young, Rose became very interested in the education of preschool and kindergarten children. She initiated a kindergarten program in Chicago that included her two older children and a child study group for couples. After her children had grown, Rose Alschuler played a pioneering role in the development of Chicago nursery schools. She conducted research and published numerous scholarly articles and books on early childhood education, educational psychology, and nursery school management and planning. Among her books were Two to Six (1933), Play, the Child's Response to Life (1937), and Painting and Personality (1947), all of which drew upon her years of experience as a nursery school administrator. Rose Alschuler's professional activities extended beyond Chicago's nursery schools, as she served on many national boards and committees, including the National Association for Nursery Education, Progressive Education, National Commission for Young Children, and as a consultant to the Federal Public Housing Authority. A popular guest speaker at early childhood education conferences, she also appeared on radio broadcasts, and in 1955 was highlighted on the CBS radio and newspaper series This I Believe. In her later years, Rose Alschuler traveled often to Israel and became active in fundraising for Jewish and Israel charities.