Date
3-10-2026
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
Chair
Kenneth Bridges
Keywords
Rockefeller Sanitary Commission, Hookworm Disease, Progressive era American South
Disciplines
History
Recommended Citation
Harris, Hannah, "Reform, Resistance, and Reluctant Change: The Southern Hookworm Epidemic in Progressive Era Georgia, 1909-1915" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7962.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7962
Abstract
In the early twentieth century, the campaign against hookworm disease in the American South became one of the most ambitious public health initiatives in United States history. Led by the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission for the Eradication of Hookworm Disease (1909–1915), reformers sought to diagnose, treat, and ultimately eliminate a parasitic infection believed to contribute to widespread poverty, poor health, and low educational attainment in the rural South. This dissertation examines the hookworm eradication campaign in Georgia to explore how national public health reform intersected with local culture, education, race relations, and regional identity. Drawing on Georgia newspapers, Rockefeller Sanitary Commission correspondence, state public health reports, and contemporary medical literature, this study argues that the campaign represented a negotiated process of modernization rather than a straightforward imposition of scientific authority. While public health officials framed hookworm as a medical explanation for the South’s reputation for “laziness” and economic stagnation, local communities often responded with skepticism, resistance, and reinterpretation of reform efforts. Rural Georgians frequently defended local knowledge and autonomy, challenging outside experts and philanthropic intervention. At the same time, the campaign linked public health and education through school inspections, sanitation reforms, and health instruction, embedding new expectations about hygiene and civic responsibility within the region’s educational institutions. By situating Georgia at the center of the hookworm crusade, this dissertation demonstrates that the Rockefeller campaign functioned as a testing ground for broader Progressive Era strategies that combined philanthropy, medical science, and public education. Ultimately, the study shows that public health modernization in the South emerged through negotiation between national reformers and local communities, shaping both regional identity and the future trajectory of American public health initiatives.
