Ep. 94: History of the Fernald State School (1889-1912)
From Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals by Dr. Sarah Gallup
August 11, 2025 · 36 min · Episode 94
About this episode
This episode discusses the early years of Dr. Walter E. Fernald at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded and his involvement in the eugenics movement.
Send us Fan Mail This week we discuss the first two decades of Dr. Walter E. Fernald's tenure at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded. Find out how he was able to expand the school in order to quickly grow to over 1,000 residents! Learn about Dr. Fernald's role in the eugenics movement of the early 20th century and what scholars were trying to legalize in the state of Massachusetts. My primary sources are the annual reports from the Fernald State School website. All other sources ar...
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Sarah Gallup
Topics covered
- history
- eugenics
- mental health
- psychiatric hospitals
- education
- social issues
Keywords
- Fernald State School
- Dr. Walter E. Fernald
- eugenics
- Massachusetts
- mental health
- history
- psychiatric hospitals
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded, Fernald State School
Places: Massachusetts
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- Ep. 97: Interview with Jacqui Sanders · October 28, 2025 · 53 min
- Ep. 96: History of the Fernald State School (1950-2014) · September 29, 2025 · 35 min
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