How did eugenics become popular in American schools and colleges during the 1930s?

During the 1930s, eugenics gained significant popularity in American schools and colleges as part of a broader effort to promote eugenic-minded values across the United States. This integration occurred through the inclusion of hygiene courses in public schools and dedicated eugenics courses in colleges, which aimed to educate students on the inheritance of traits and the importance of selective breeding.1

The movement utilized various educational and cultural platforms to disseminate its ideas:

• Public Education: Schools incorporated eugenic principles into hygiene curricula to emphasize the biological improvement of the population.1
• College Courses: Academic institutions offered courses that framed eugenics as a legitimate scientific pursuit, often drawing on agricultural analogies that compared human reproduction to the breeding of livestock and crops.1
• Public Exhibits: Events like the Chicago World’s Fair (1933–34) featured exhibits such as "Pedigree-Study in Man," which urged fairgoers to adopt a "progressive" view of marriage and family planning based on eugenic principles.1
• Community Engagement: "Fitter families" contests held at state and county fairs further promoted these values by awarding medals to families deemed eugenically sound.1

These efforts were grounded in the belief that responsible individuals should be mindful of heredity when choosing partners to perpetuate favorable traits.1