Mary Parker Follett
Born 1868 · Age 157
American social worker, management consultant, philosopher and pioneer in organizational theory and organizational behavior; influential proponent of human-centered management, participatory democracy, conflict integration, and 'power-with' concepts.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Quincy, Massachusetts
Born into a Quaker family to Charles Allen Follett and Elizabeth Curtis (Baxter) Follett in Quincy, MA.
Attended Thayer Academy (approx.)
Attended Thayer Academy, a collegiate preparatory day school in Braintree, Massachusetts (attendance in teenage years; exact start year not specified).
Enrolled in Society to Encourage Studies at Home
In September 1885 she enrolled in Anna Ticknor's Society to Encourage Studies at Home, an early correspondence/study organization for women.
Studied at University of Cambridge (Newnham)
Studied at the University of Cambridge (Newnham College) from 1890 to 1891 (period of study in England).
Began studies at Society for Collegiate Instruction of Women (Radcliffe)
Moved to study at the Society for the Collegiate Instruction of Women (later Radcliffe). Attended irregularly over several years.
Published Radcliffe thesis 'The Speaker of the House of Representatives'
Her Radcliffe thesis, The Speaker of the House of Representatives, was published (based on her research as a student).
Began cohabiting with Isobel L. Briggs (approx.)
Started the long-term committed relationship with Isobel L. Briggs; the two lived together for over thirty years until Briggs' death (start year approximate based on length).
Graduated summa cum laude from Radcliffe College
Completed studies at Radcliffe with high honors, emphasizing government, economics, law and philosophy.
Recognized fluency in German and French
By the time of graduation she was fluent in German and French and used these skills to track European intellectual developments.
Began social work in Roxbury, Boston
Worked as a social worker in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston (1900–1908), organizing community programs and discovering the importance of community spaces.
Chair, Women's Municipal League Committee on Extended Use of School Buildings
Became chairperson of the committee promoting after-hours use of school buildings for community activities, a movement she helped lead.
Opened East Boston High School Social Center
In 1911 she and colleagues opened the East Boston High School Social Center and helped establish other social centers in Boston.
Social centers attract 7,000 weekly visitors
By around 1914, up to 7,000 people a week were attending six social centers across Boston that she helped establish and organize.
Named Vice-President, National Community Center Association
Took the vice-presidency of the National Community Center Association, reflecting her leadership in the community center movement.
Published 'The New State'
Published The New State: Group Organization the Solution of Popular Government — a foundational work on participatory democracy and group organization.
Began turning attention to business management
Transitioned toward writing for and consulting with the business world; began collaborations with progressive business leaders (e.g., Henry Dennison) to apply social-center ideas to industry.
Published 'Creative Experience' and essay 'Power' (coined 'power-with')
Published Creative Experience (1924). In essays of this period (notably 'Power') she coined and popularized 'power-with' vs 'power-over' and advanced her integrative conflict ideas.
Became sought-after management consultant and lecturer
During the mid-1920s she became an increasingly popular lecturer and consultant in business and management circles internationally.
Isobel L. Briggs died; Follett moved to England
After the death of her long-time partner Isobel L. Briggs (1926), Follett moved to England to live, work and study (including time at Oxford).
Lectures/works on 'Dynamic Administration' (circa 1927)
Delivered lectures and developed material that later formed Dynamic Administration (later collected and published posthumously). She wrote about leadership, authority of expertise and lateral processes.
Consulted with League of Nations and ILO in Geneva
Worked as a consultant with the League of Nations and the International Labour Organization in Geneva, reflecting international recognition.
Recognized as pioneer of human-centered management
By the early 1930s she was widely regarded in academic and business circles as a leading thinker on human relations in management.
Lectured at London School of Economics (recorded in 1933)
One of the first women ever invited to address the LSE; records show she lectured there in 1933 on management issues.
Died in Boston, Massachusetts
Died in Boston while visiting; left a significant body of essays, lectures and books that influenced later organizational theory.
Posthumous honor: Radcliffe distinguished graduate (1934)
Radcliffe College honored Mary Parker Follett as one of its most distinguished graduates (posthumous recognition in 1934).
Chester Barnard publishes 'The Functions of the Executive' (influence acknowledged)
Chester Barnard's influential book (1938) emphasized 'soft' organizational factors; his work is acknowledged to owe a 'telling' but usually undisclosed debt to Follett's ideas.
Dynamic Administration: The Collected Papers published (posthumous)
A posthumous collection of her speeches and short articles was published as Dynamic Administration (1942), further spreading her ideas.
Reprint of 'Creative Experience' (mid-century reprint)
Creative Experience was reprinted (notably a 1951 reprint), keeping her ideas in circulation in subsequent decades.
Ideas re-emerge in Japan (1960s)
During the 1960s her work re-emerged and was applied by Japanese management thinkers, contributing to renewed international interest.
Fox & Urwick edition of 'Dynamic Administration' published
Elliot M. Fox and Lyndall Urwick edited a widely used edition of Dynamic Administration (Pitman, 1973), making her work more accessible to modern managers.
Mary Parker Follett Award established
The annual Mary Parker Follett Award was established (1992) to recognize outstanding papers in Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, honoring her legacy.
The New State reprinted (1998 edition)
The New State was reprinted (Penn State Press edition, 1998), bringing renewed scholarly attention to her early work on group organization and democracy.
Pauline Graham edition 'Prophet of Management' and renewed scholarship
Pauline Graham edited Mary Parker Follett: Prophet of Management (Beard Books, 2003), fueling renewed modern interest; Warren Bennis and others praised her foundational role.
CreateSpace reprint of 'The Speaker of the House of Representatives'
A modern reprint of her student research thesis, The Speaker of the House of Representatives, was issued (CreateSpace edition, 2013), making early work accessible.
Multiple modern compilations and books on Follett's ideas published
Collections and analyses (e.g., 'The Essential Mary Parker Follett' 2014 and other edited volumes) further cemented her place in management history.
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