Lawrence Veiller

Who was Lawrence Veiller?

Lawrence Turner Veiller was an American social reformer of the Progressive Era in New York.

Veiller began his career with the Charity Organization Society, then worked for the Buildings Department of the City of New York. He was especially concerned with housing conditions among the poor, which he viewed as a crucial to broader social improvement. Veiller served as executive officer of the Tenement House Committee, and secretary of the New York State Tenement House Commission through which he helped draft the New York State Tenement House Act, which established basic housing laws in the city. Veiller understood the importance of publicity in gaining support for his cause, and to this end worked with journalists like Jacob Riis, who used photography to document the living conditions of the poor.