KATHERINE PHILIPS EDSON

Katerine Philips Edson was an influential women’s rights advocate in the early decades of the 20^th century.

As executive director of California’s Industrial Welfare Commission, Edson played a leading role in securing a minimum wage for working women and children.  

Less known, however, was her role in protecting the lives of Southern California babies when she was the public health chair of the exclusive and influential Friday Morning Club in Los Angeles.

In 1909, babies throughout the region were dying from severe digestive orders. Edson thought the culprit was tainted milk.

Edson conducted a series of surprise inspections at dairies that were supplying milk to Southern California and found that at least ten percent of the cows had tuberculosis.

Edson’s findings rocked Los Angeles.

She revealed that the city of Los Angeles had no staff veterinarian and an insufficient number of inspectors. She found that the city had failed to conduct any tuberculin tests the previous two years.

She concluded that many dairy owners were “ignorant, careless and utterly unfitted to run a dairy that is not a menace to the health of the babies.”

Her work led to legislation giving the state the authority to oversee the production and sale of milk and milk products.