author
Marion Foster Washburne
b. 1863
A lively early-20th-century writer on children, education, and everyday life, she brought practical ideas to a wide audience through books, lectures, and journalism. Her work blends warm observation with a reformer's interest in how people learn and grow.
1 Audiobook
Study of Child Life
by Marion Foster Washburne
About the author
Born in 1863, Marion Foster Washburne was an American author, journalist, editor, lecturer, and educator. She wrote on child development, parenting, and daily life, and became known for turning educational ideas into clear, useful reading for families and general audiences.
She worked in Chicago journalism and is noted as the first trained teacher hired to cover education news for a Chicago newspaper. Alongside her newspaper and editorial work, she published books including Study of Child Life, The Mother's Year-Book, and Every Day Essays.
Washburne was also active in public life beyond writing. She lectured widely and took part in reform-minded movements of her time, including work connected with education and the back-to-the-land movement. She died in 1944, leaving behind writing that reflects both the domestic concerns and the social ideals of her era.