A Perfect Turmoil: Walter E. Fernald and the Struggle to Care for America’s Disabled

A Book Talk with Lurie Institute Visiting Scholar Alex Green

Where: Zinner Forum or on Zoom

When: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 12 PM EST

About the event: Join the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy on Tuesday April 29th at noon for an engaging conversation with Visiting Scholar, historian, and author Alex Green. Green has spent the past ten years uncovering the hidden story of Walter E. Fernald, a pivotal yet controversial individual in the history of institutionalization of people with disabilities. This landmark biography discusses how Fernald designed the first special education class in America, shaped the laws of entire nations, developed innovative medical treatments for the disabled, and how he slipped from idealism into the throes of eugenics before emerging as an opponent of mass institutionalization. Attend in person or register on Zoom for this important conversation.