WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
In 1908, Jane Addams started the Mary Crane Day Nursery at Hull House, after receiving a donation of a building from Richard Teller Crane in memory of his late wife.
Hull House turned the Day Nursery over to the National College of Education in 1925, and Jane Addams joined with Edna Dean Baker, president of the College, to pioneer a new way of thinking about early childhood education. Their shared knowledge and firsthand experience of working with children and families was groundbreaking in the efforts to prepare young underprivileged children for success.
Originally assisting children of poor immigrants on Chicago’s near West Side, the Center moved north to the Julia C. Lathrop Homes in 1963. In keeping with the spirit of its inception, the Mary Crane Center continues to serve communities in need and has added sites in Rogers Park, Austin and West Garfield Park over the past several years. The Mary Crane Center has launched the lives of over 15,000 children and families.
"Let us accept the child in our midst as our greatest wealth and our highest responsibility"
JANE ADDAMS
Co-founder of the
Mary Crane Center
Partners & Archdiocese Sites
Little Acheivers
3801 W Diversey Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
P: 773.632.8249
F: 773.276.1600
Sharla Thompson | Owner
sharla_thompson@sbcglobal.net
Saint Ethelreda
8734 S. Paulina
Chicago, IL 60620
P: 773.238.1757
Dr. Denise Spells | Principal
dspells@stethelreda.org
Leadership & Administration
Board Members
DuWarren Gibson
Board President
Emily Herrick
Vice President
Carla E. Gazes
Treasurer
Robin Bourne-Caris
Secretary
Suzanne Rovner
Member At Large
Dominique Bryant
Member At Large
Lei Lani Myles
Member At Large
Adeline Robinson
Member At Large
n
Parent Chair
Laurie Gingrich
Member At Large
Site Directors
Eleanor Northern
Morse/Rogers Park
enorthern@marycrane.org
773.262.1390
Valerie Dickens
Lake & Pulaski/West Garfield Park
vdickens@marycrane.org
773.265.5954
Kisonnah Williams
Lathrop/Northwest
kwilliams@marycrane.org
773.938.8131
Lisa Penny
Partner Director
lpenny@marycrane.org
312.719.8868