A Perfect Turmoil: Walter E. Fernald and the Struggle to Care for America’s Disabled

by Alex Green

The rise, fall, and redemption of the doctor behind America’s first public school for disabled people

From the moment he became superintendent of the nation’s oldest public school for intellectually and developmentally disabled children in 1887 until his death in 1924, Dr. Walter E. Fernald led a wholesale transformation of our understanding of disabilities in ways that continue to influence our views today. How did the man who designed the first special education class in America, shaped the laws of entire nations, and developed innovative medical treatments for the disabled slip from idealism into the throes of eugenics before emerging as an opponent of mass institutionalization? Based on a decade of research, A Perfect Turmoil is the story of a doctor, educator, and policymaker who was unafraid to reverse course when convinced by the evidence, even if it meant going up against some of the most powerful forces of his time.

In this landmark work, Alex Green has drawn upon extensive, largely unexamined archives to unearth the hidden story of one of America’s largely forgotten, but most complex, conflicted, and significant figures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Disability, History

368 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2025

Reviews

[Laura Bernheim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and (at times) disturbing look at the complicated legacy of Walter E. Fernald and the evolution of care for people with disabilities. This book provides context and more understanding for those who are aware of all of the conversations surrounding the fate of the site of the former Fernald State School.

[Andy Oram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is partly a biography and partly a useful history of the intellectual and political battles over the disabled. (I found the book classified in my library as Dewey Decimal 362: social problems and services to groups of people.) It's a complicated book about a complicated topic, and can't be summarized.

Although other authors have told the history of the eugenics movement and the evils it enabled, such as anti-immigration laws and standardized intelligence testing, Green's book is useful for its focus on the helping professions (medicine, psychology, social work, education) and their participation in both the destructive movement and criticism of it.

Like many institutions, the school that Fernald founded, and that later was named after him, started with progressive values and adequate funding. Part of its degeneration was caused by overstuffing it with people who were diagnosed improperly, and the decline in funding so commonly seen in social services. As Green points out, Walter Fernald's natural empathy and humanity battled within him with racism and prejudice against the disabled.

The book ends by showing that the abuses of the past are still with us, although there is much less institutionalization.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a look at the work of Walter E. Fernald and discusses the early times of caring for disabled people. I suspect it will have great success (and be more appreciated by) certain niches. I was most interested to read the part about Montesorri as a form of it is now being used by the elderly care facility a relative is in. (I'm not sure if that program has changed over time, because it doesn't seem to be well thought of in this book, though we hear a lot about it now.)

I had mostly heard of eugenics through Star Trek's references to the "eugenics war" and hadn't realized that it was present in our history as well--and backed by some very well known figures.

Note: I was provided a free copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Readers Group in exchange for an honest review

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very informative, and I'm glad I read it -- although I quit shortly before the end. I expected more of a straightforward biography, whereas this covered the issue of the disabled very broadly, with Fernald as the fulcrum. I occasionally lost track of who was who, although that's my fault for reading just before bed, when this is a book that should be read during the afternoon, when one is more alert.

[Laura Zigman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, important, and humane, this is a crucial piece of history and context for why we must keep fighting for disability rights. Green is a true storyteller and an absolute advocate for those who never had a voice.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Logging back into Goodreads for the first time in years (StoryGraph convert) to push this book—absolutely essential reading for disability history, handled incredibly complicated topics with compassion, and shone a light on information intentionally concealed by the state for over 100 years.