SpColl 26: Personal Growth Leaflets

Introduction and Content

Personal Growth Leaflets first appeared in the Journal of the National Education Association as commencement messages for young people. Demand increased and the leaflets became widely disbursed. Hugh Taylor, who had know Horace Mann as a child, was so impressed with the leaflets that he gave a revolving fund in 1936 to allow for mass production and distribution of the leaflets.

The leaflets fit well with the self-education and self-growth mentality of the early 20th century. The titles covered a wide variety of subject from health to religion in the classroom to the role of teachers and instruction.

The Personal Growth Leaflet Collection in the Browne Popular Culture Library at Bowling Green State University has only 77 titles, but there were over 200 originally published. The Personal Growth Leaflet Collection is organized by leaflet number, with both the title and author listed.

Contents by Deirdre Rogers and Bob Hamburger, June 2003
Revised S. Jennings, March 2005
Revised M. Zuzik, January 2015

Inventory