L. J. Hanifan

© Photo: West Virginia State Archives, used by permission
Lyda Judson Hanifan

L.J. (Lyda Judson) Hanifan (b. February 12, 1879; d. Dec. 11th, 1932) is credited with introducing the concept of social capital. Robert Putnam in his book, Bowling Alone (2000) credits a 1916 paper by Hanifan as the first recorded instance in the English language of the use of the term. Hanifan also authored a book published in 1920 that contains a chapter entitled "Social Capital".

Hanifan was born February 12, 1879 in the coal camp of Cubana, West Virginia and went on to higher education at West Virginia Wesleyan College, West Virginia University, the University of Chicago and Harvard University, receiving an A.M. degree in 1909. He returned to the state where he served school systems in Elkins, Belington, Charleston and Welch, and for nearly 10 years was state supervisor of rural schools. Hanifan authored two books and a number of pamphlets on rural education. A list of his known publications is included on the Works subpage of this entry. According to Robert Putnam, "the first known use of the concept (of social capital) was not by some cloistered theoretician, but by a practical reformer of the Progressive Era - L. J. Hanifan, state supervisor of rural schools in West Virginia. Writing in 1916 to urge the importance of community involvement for successful schools, Hanifan invoked the idea of 'social capital' to explain why." "Hanifan's account of social capital," Putnam continues, "anticipated virtually all of the crucial elements in later interpretations, but his conceptual invention apparently attracted no notice from other social commentators and disappeared without a trace" for the next 84 years. Hanifan defined social capital as:

The tangible substances [that] count for most in the daily lives of people: namely good will, fellowship, sympathy, and social intercourse among the individuals and families who make up a social unit. . . . The individual is helpless socially, if left to himself. If he comes into contact with his neighbor, and they with other neighbors, there will be an accumulation of social capital, which may immediately satisfy his social needs and which may bear a social potentiality sufficient to the substantial improvement of living conditions in the whole community. The community as a whole will benefit by the cooperation of all its parts, while the individual will find in his associations the advantages of the help, the sympathy, and the fellowship of his neighbors. (Quoted from Putnam, 2000, p. 19)

Hanifan was a member (and secretary) of the New School Code Commission which defined key provisions of the public education system in West Virginia appointed by H. P. Shawkey, State Superintendent of Free Schools, in December of 1917. The Commission report presented to the West Virginia Legislature in January, 1919 resulted in legislation adopted in February, 1920 establishing the state board of education, the 10-month school term, raising teacher's salaries, mandating compulsory attendance for pupils age 6-16, authorizing junior high schools and other provisions.

It is currently believed that Hanifan married Mary Pearl Agee (b. Oct 14, 1891, Virginia) on March 26, 1913 and they had one child, Mary Elkin Hanifan. It also appears that his father was John Hanifan, his mother Sara Taylor; John married three times; Lyda had two full brothers, Lorenzo and Stark. After serving as Superintendent of Schools in Welch WV, Hanifan moved to Paducah, KY, where he served as Superintendent until his death, believed to have been on Dec. 11th, 1932.