An Independent Spirit: The Quiet, Generous Life of Helen Daniels Bader tells the story of one of Milwaukee, Wisconsin's, most prominent philanthropists. Born in Depression-era South Dakota, Helen Daniels Bader enjoyed a successful career as a businesswoman before returning to graduate school to pursue her dream of becoming a licensed social worker. Specializing in the care of the elderly, Bader was an early advocate for those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, and ahead of her time when it came to envisioning and promoting effective strategies related to their care. The $100 million Helen Bader Foundation was established in 1991, two years after her death, and over the next twenty-four years awarded $250 million in grants designed to advance the well-being of the impoverished and disadvantaged. Today that mission continues under the auspices of the Helen Bader Fund at Bader Philanthropies, Inc. Bader's legacy is further immortalized through the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
