Mary van Kleeck

Mary van Kleeck.
Mary van Kleeck (1883–1972) was an American social scientist and social feminist who advocated for scientific management and a planned economy. She began her career in the settlement movement, investigating women's labor in New York City. In 1916 she became the director of the Russell Sage Foundation's Department of Industrial Studies, which she led for over 30 years. During World War I, she was appointed by U.S. president Woodrow Wilson to lead the development of workplace standards for women entering the labor force. After the war, she led the creation of the Women's Bureau, a federal agency that advocates for women in the workforce. By the 1930s, van Kleeck had become a socialist, arguing that central planning of economies was the most effective way to protect labor rights. During the Great Depression, she became a prominent left-wing critic of capitalism and the New Deal.