Lisa Levenstein

Levenstein will work on a book about the little-known fact that during the 1980s and 1990s the U.S. Army built the most successful large-scale example of publicly funded childcare in the nation’s history. Drawing on oral history and archival research, Levenstein will demonstrate how a team of military wives developed the professional skills needed to convince some of the nation’s toughest generals that the Army could not execute its mission without providing high-quality universal childcare. Their story reveals what becomes possible – and what remains out of reach – when women gain power by appealing to men's interests rather than demanding it for themselves.