Emily Greene Balch

Emily in her younger days

The name of my hero is Emily Greene Balch. She was born in Boston in 1867. She died in 1961. I chose her because she really believed in peace and she even won the Nobel Peace Prize. When I grow up I hope that I might be able to spread her word, too.

Miss Balch spoke Greek, Latin and English. She went to private schools as a young girl. Emily had three sisters. She never got married and never had kids. She was a Quaker and a social worker. Although she was totally against war, she did support the war against Adolf Hitler and the Japanese during World War II.

Miss Balch was religious and very loving. She believed in peace and freedom. She was intelligent.

Emily

“”We are not asked to subscribe to any utopia or to believe in a perfect world just around the corner. We are asked to be patient with necessarily slow and groping advance on the road forward, and to be ready for each step ahead as it becomes practicable. We are asked to equip ourselves with courage, hope, readiness for hard work, and to cherish large and generous ideals."