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…

Robert M. Ball: Social Security Pioneer A Personal Remembrance by Larry DeWitt   Editor’s Note: Larry DeWitt is the public historian at the U.S. Social Security Administration. He is the co-editor of Social Security: A Documentary History (Washington, D.C., Congressional Quarterly Press, 2008). Late in the night of January 29, 2008 Robert M. Ball, a leading figure…

Arthur J. Altmeyer: Architect of the Social Security Administration and President of the National Conference on Social Work By Larry W. DeWitt, Historian, U. S. Social Security Administration Introduction Arthur J. Altmeyer was the man that president Franklin Roosevelt informally referred to as “Mr. Social Security,” and Altmeyer was the key policy and administrative figure in the…

Susan B. Anthony By Catherine A. Paul Susan Brownell Anthony was both February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts and died March 13, 1906 in Rochester New York (Harper, 1998). Anthony helped to wage the battle for suffrage across multiple arenas, including voting booths, religious institutions, workplaces, and homes, and at the intersection of many issues, including…