Abstract
Anna Kadlec spent her career in social work. She worked closely with individuals like Jane Addams in the Chicago settlement house movement to improve social conditions for impoverished communities. Afterwards, she went on to study the employment of women in Chicago meat packing plants and to work as a teacher at Model.
Administrative/Biographical History
Anna Koutecky was born in Chicago on August 9, 1894, the first child of an immigrant couple from Czechoslovakia. In 1923 Anna married Frank Kadlec (1889-1938), a physician at Chicago's Jackson Park Hospital. They had two children, Nancy and Bonnie. (You will find more on Anna Koutecky Kadlec's life in the biographical file, f.19.) Anna worked at the University of Chicago Settlement House. With her knowledge of five languages, she quickly caught the eye of Mary McDowell, and became Miss McDowell's assistant. While at the settlement Anna also worked closely with Jane Addams of Hull House. Anna claimed that Addams and McDowell were training her to take over the Settlement House. During this time period she also attended the University of Chicago. Upon graduation, Anna received a fellowship to study the employment of women in the meat packing industry at Morris Packing Company in Chicago. Ms. Koutecky was then employed in industrial relations for the same company from 1918- 1923. Following her marriage, she took some time off to raise her children but later received her teaching certification and went back to work as a teacher at the Betsy Ross School in the 1930s. Mrs. Kadlec then went to the Tonti School in Chicago where she taught until 1960. In 1960, Anna moved to Richmond, KY where she taught at the Miller School for a year. She then taught at the EKU Model School for four years. Anna lived in Richmond until her death on August 30,1991 at age 97. Author: Deborah L. Boggs
