BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
William Reuben George, a social welfare leader, founded the George
Junior Republic in 1895 in Freeville, New York as a means of moving boys and
girls from the slums into a rural environment. The Junior Republic, a community
reflecting the principles of youthful self-government, was founded upon the
maxim "Nothing Without Labor." With assistance from his wife Esther Ide
Brewster, George developed a community consisting of a farm, blacksmith and
carpentry shops, laundry, bakery, general store, jail, and other elements of
the larger society which were intended to complement citizens' academic
endeavors. By 1898, the first of several institutions based on the Republic's
principles was founded in Redington, Pa., and by 1908, the National Association
of Junior Republics was formed with George as Executive National Director.
