Lucy Wortham James and the Gospel of Wealth: A Case Study of Female Philanthropy in Rural Missouri During the Progressive Era

Various historical scholars have examined the role of Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth on philanthropic attitudes and endeavors of affluent Americans during the Progressive Era. Modern developments, driven by post-structural feminist theory, have shown that rural-born Missouri women, exemplified by Phoebe Apperson Hearst, acted as complementary equals to Carnegie through their humanitarian efforts by uniquely interpreting and implementing his social doctrines. However, the existing scholarship has focused substantially on coastal developments, neglecting the role of this benevolence in rural Missouri communities. By examining the philanthropic endeavors of Lucy Wortham James, both during her life and post-mortem through her endowment of the James Foundation of the New York Community Trust, I will demonstrate how her philanthropic endeavors classify her as a complementary equal to Carnegie and that the Gospel of Wealth Ideas prominent on both the East and West coasts during the Progressive Era were made relevant, by James, to her rural hometown of St James, Missouri.