Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2023/Fall/Section18/A Self-Made Man

A Self-Made Man

Biography

Early Life and Childhood

Luther Judson was a government painter born in Mechlenbery County, North Carolina. Judson remembers his childhood fondly, enjoying working on their family farm with his seven siblings. He did not care for education, attending school only to the fourth grade before working as a railroader. Judson was self-assured in his lack of education, assuming that the best way to learn anything is through experience.

Later Life

At nineteen, he married his sixteen-year-old wife before moving to Georgia and starting a family. They had five children together, four boys and one girl. Judson was proud of his work painting, but he did resent the tedious paperwork he had to fill out for the government. As part of the Works Progress Administration, he supported President Roosevelt, saying he was "fer(for) the poor folks." He was a hard worker and proud member of the Baptist Church but did admit to drinking and gambling more than he should. Judson sadly lost one of his children to the flu and tuberculosis, which he recalled as the biggest tragedy of his life. Because of the death, he promised his son he will lead a religious life to see him in heaven. Also, he had some trouble with the law. After a man insulted one of his children, Judson struck him with a glass bottle, causing him to pass away three days later. His case went to trial, but he was acquitted. Still, Luther Judson prides himself on having "the biggest heart in the world" and supporting a big, happy family.

Social Context

Works Progress Administration

Apart from the New Deal, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a government program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in May of 1935. President Roosevelt believed that the primary source of the economic downturn was the large gap in income between the middle class and laborers. Scholar Bradford A. Lee wrote about the rationale in The Wilson Quarterly, saying, "If farmers got more money for their crops and workers got more for their labor, they would buy more goods; if there were increased demand and higher prices, businessmen would earn greater profits." To bring the United States economy out of the Great Depression, the program was designed to provide jobs for 20 percent of Americans unemployed. The majority of participants were unskilled laborers who worked on construction projects building schools, hospitals, roads, railroads, homes, etc. In the eight years of the program's existence, over eight million workers were employed, and in 1938, over three million unskilled laborers were a part of the initiative. Although the WPA was successful in creating jobs, the program was heavily criticized by members of the government. Construction projects often cost more than three times the cost of private companies, and technology was limited to create the most jobs possible. The WPA did little to stimulate the American economy for most years and made an unmatched government deficit, reaching almost four billion dollars in the first year of the program.

Tuberculosis in the Great Depression

Tuberculosis is a lung disease caused by bacteria growth in the organ. Symptoms can vary, but commonly, those with a TB infection undergo intense coughing, chest pain, weight loss, fever, and fatigue. During the latter half of the 19th century, TB killed one in seven people in the United States and was regarded as one of the largest epidemics. On March 24, 1882, Dr. Koch came out with his discoveries of the bacterial infection and played a significant role in the prevention and treatment of TB. Even though great strides were made to control the spread, the Great Depression led to a rise of Tuberculosis in America. In C.M. Hendrick's publication Diseases of the Chest, he writes that "poor nourishment, close housing, exposure from lack of heat and clothing and mental worry"are all factors that contributed to the illness's rise. Also, "lack of funds for hospitalization is responsible for an increased number of contacts with open tuberculosis and, worse still, prolongs the contact." Hendrick lays out the plan that combated the illness with the least economic strain possible. Stating that the government employed a "greatest good to the greatest number" and refrained from treating all TB cases at a public expense. Instead, medical specialists aimed at positively diagnosing the illness early and separating the case from public contact.