Felix Adler

Born in Alzey, Germany, in 1851, he moved to New York as a child when his father became a prominent rabbi. He studied at Columbia College and later in Germany, developing a lifelong interest in ethics, education, and social reform.

In 1876, he founded the New York Society for Ethical Culture, building a movement centered on the idea that people of different beliefs could unite through shared moral action. He became known as a powerful public speaker and teacher, and he later served for many years as a professor of political and social ethics at Columbia.

His influence reached beyond philosophy into practical reform. He helped inspire projects in education, nursing, and housing, including efforts that supported kindergartens, visiting nursing, and better tenement conditions. He died in 1933, remembered as a writer and activist who tried to connect ethical thought with everyday responsibility.