Sophonisba Preston Breckinridge (1866-1948) Social Worker, Activist, Educator and Attorney Sophonisba Breckinridge, social worker, educator, and social activist, was born in Lexington, Kentucky, into a family with a long history of public service. Her father was a lawyer, a confederate Colonel, a US Congressman, and a staunch supporter of women’s education. Her great-grandfather was…
Continue Reading »Charles Loring Brace (June 19, 1826 – August 11, 1890): Congregational Minister, Child Welfare Advocate, Founder of the New York Children’s Aid Society and Organizer of the Orphan’s Train Introduction: Charles Loring Brace was born into a well-connected New England family. At the time of his birth, his father, John Brace, was principal of…
Continue Reading »Neva Leona Boyd (1876-1963) – Social Group Worker, Professor of Sociology and Proponent of the Modern Play Movement Introduction: Neva Leona Boyd was born in Sanborn, Iowa on February 25, 1876 and she moved to Chicago after high school. Boyd enrolled in the Chicago Kindergarten Institute and then taught kindergarten in Buffalo, New York, before…
Continue Reading »Eileen A. Blackey (1902-1979) — Social Worker, Educator and Administrator Eileen A. Blackey was a social work practitioner, educator, and international consultant. She designed a pioneering in-service staff development program for emergency relief workers during the 1930s, worked with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration during World War II, and then directed staff…
Continue Reading »An educator, organizer, and policy advocate, Bethune became one of the leading civil rights activists of her era. She led a group of African American women to vote after the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution (giving women the right to vote).
Continue Reading »Fred Berl (1903-1981) — Fred Berl and the Spirit of Social Casework By Harris Chaiklin, Ph.D., Professor emeritus at the University of Maryland School of Social Work The few people who were lucky enough and plucky enough to escape the horror that Hitlerism and Stalinism brought to this world made great contributions to America. While…
Continue Reading »Bertram Beck (1918 – 2000) — Settlement House Director, Deputy Director NASW, Educator and Consultant Bertram Beck received a Masters in Art in Social Work in 1942 from the University of Chicago. He worked as a psychiatric social worker for the United States Air Force from 1942-1946. Elected to the original board of NASW,…
Continue Reading »Clara Harlowe Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912) — Teacher, Humanitarian, Nurse, Founder of American Red Cross Introduction: Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Her father, Captain Stephen Barton, was a farmer, horsebreeder, and respected member of the community. Her mother, Sarah, managed the household and taught Barton the…
Continue Reading »Modeled after Jane Addams‘ Hull-House, Locust Street Settlement House opened in 1890 in Hampton, VA.
Continue Reading »Catherine “Kate” Barnard (1875-1930) — Social Reformer, Political and Labor Activist, and First Woman Elected to a State Office as Commissioner of the Oklahoma Conference of Charities and Corrections. Editor’s Note: This entry is a composite of information from two sources, which are listed below. Catherine “Kate” Barnard was born born in Geneva, Nebraska on May…
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