Social Welfare History Project People Page 17

Orshansky, Mollie

Remembering Mollie Orshansky—The Developer of the Poverty Thresholds by Gordon M. Fisher Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 68 No. 3, 2008 Introduction: In a federal government career that lasted more than four decades, Mollie Orshansky worked for the Children’s…

Eliot, Thomas H.

Thomas H. Eliot (June 14, 1907 – October 14, 1991) — Counsel for the Committee on Economic Security, Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis and U.S. Representative in Congress. Introduction: In 1933, Thomas Hopkinson Eliot, together with many of his youthful fellow graduates from Harvard Law School, went to Washington, becoming Assistant Solicitor of…

Rustin, Bayard: Master Organizer

In 1956, he took leave from the League to advise Martin Luther King on non-violent tactics during the Montgomery bus boycott. When the pacifist Rustin first met King, he slept with a pistol under his pillow and had armed guards. He who introduced him to pacifism and non-violent tactics. In 1957, he and King started to organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Given his political and sexual past, other black leaders, especially Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, forced him to resign.

While Rustin did not have to resign from his role in organizing King’s 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom, A. Phillip Randolph got the up-front publicity. In putting the march together, Rustin was known for paying meticulous attention to every detail and for seeming to be everywhere at once. He was the engine that made it go.

Mayo, Leonard W.

Leonard Withington Mayo (1899-1992) – Social Welfare Administrator and Educator Introduction: Leonard W. Mayo was a leading educator and administrator in the field of social welfare and community health concerns for more than fifty years. Mayo’s career blended teaching and agency administrative positions. He also held numerous offices in social service organizations, including: the…

Lindeman, Eduard: A Neglected Social Worker

Eduard Christian Lindeman was a remarkable social worker but he is less well known than other early stalwarts. Many factors contributed to this. He was not a self-promoter, he was not a specialist and worked in other fields, and he was not a clinician. Despite these “deficits” his life and writings are of continued value to social work.

Lindeman, Eduard C.: A Letter

In order to make matters more explicit, I shall now state my chief reasons for being an anti-Communist: (1) on philosophical grounds I belong to the American tradition of pragmatism of which William James and John Dewey were the chief exponents. This philosophy is experimental and non-authoritarian and is definitely opposed to the dogmatic German philosophy of Hegel, and out which Marxism arose. (2) on moral grounds I am opposed to Communism because it teachers the immoral doctrine that good ends may be achieved through the use of evil means; it practices conspiracy and falsehood and thus, through the employment of such means, produces gross immorality; (3) I am a believer in cultural pluralism while Communism advocates the cultural uniformity. I believe in diversity because I believe in freedom. (See THE DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE BY T.V. SMITH and EDUARD C. LINDEMAN, published last year by The New American Library.) (4) I believe in what may be called the Judeo-Christian ethics which is founded upon the conception of human brotherhood and love. Communism, on the contrary, preaches hate and conflict. There are many other reasons for opposing this malevolent movement which has perverted so many millions but the above are fundamental.

Merrick, Mary Virginia

Mary Virginia Merrick: Catholic Social Reformer, Philanthropist (1866-1955) by Michael Barga Introduction: Mary Virginia Merrick suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury in her early years but overcame this obstacle to make a significant contribution to social welfare, a rarity for people with disabilities in her time. Merrick’s devout Catholic faith led her to charitable and…

Perkins, Frances: The Roosevelt Years

The Labor department that Perkins found called into play all her research and political skills. It was corrupt and inefficient and hadn’t accomplished much. Many were removed and some eventually went to jail. No detail was too small. In her shabby offices cockroaches were found. This was because black employees were not allowed to use the department cafeteria and brought their lunches to work. She and her secretary cleaned the office and soon ordered the cafeteria to be integrated.

Perkins, Frances, Change Agent

In 1913 Perkins married Paul Caldell Wilson. He was handsome, rich and a progressive. She defied convention and kept her maiden name. After several attempts at conceiving a daughter was born. Life did not treat Frances well. Both husband and daughter were depressed and institutionalized for long periods. While she had some help with living from her wealthy friends Frances paid their bills until they died. She also dealt with a myriad of stresses they introduced into her life. She did not believe in divorce. Despite her personal miseries Frances continued to develop her political skills.