Page |1

PIONEERS IN SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE reform in American history, the Social Security Act, in
1935.
Among the other important social welfare reforms,
ADDAMS, JANE (1860-1935)
he helped to recommend and put into practice were the
A leader of the social reform movement in her time, survivors' insurance (1939), disability insurance (1939-
Ms. Addams founded Hull House in Chicago, the very first 1953), and federal financing of social work education
social settlement in the United States. The settlement (1936-1953). He was a strong advocate of a
offered a variety of social services to thousands of foreign- comprehensive, contributory social insurance
born Americans at the neighborhood level. It became the characterized by cash benefits related to earnings. He
prototype of today's community center. earned a Ph.D. in economics in 1931 at the University of
Wisconsin.
As a social reformer, Ms. Addams directed her
efforts at working to outlaw child labor, provide places for
city children to develop physically and intellectually and
BALTAZAR, VICTOR J. (1914-1984)
improve social conditions especially for young women,
children, and immigrants. In the Philippines, he was the moving spirit behind
the introduction of vocational rehabilitation as a field of
In later years she worked for the cause of peace at
social welfare. A veteran of World War II, Mr. Baltazar was
the international level and in 1931 she shared the Nobel
the chief architect of the growth of the rehabilitation
Peace Prize with Nicolas Murray Butler.
program which started as a vocational rehabilitation
She graduated in 1881 from Rockford Female program for the blind and other physically disabled
Seminary. Then she went to Europe to further her persons to a rehabilitation program which now includes all
education. In London she visited Toynbee Hall, the very types of the physically as well as the socially handicapped.
first settlement house to be established there. The His contribution to social work was the introduction of the
experience became the beginning of her life-time multi-disciplinary or team approach to the rehabilitation
involvement in social work. of clients. He also introduced the vocational training
center, a facility of which there are now four – one
national, located in Barranca, Quezon City and three
ALTMEYER, ARTHUR J. (1891-1972) regional centers in Dagupan City, Cebu City, and
Zamboanga.
Altmeyer was the undisputed leader of social welfare
policy in the U.S. during his time. As a federal Mr. Baltazar received an A.B. degree from the
administrator (1934-1953) he helped create and put into Ateneo de Manila University and was a fellow in Special
operation the most mammoth and far-reaching social
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Education in Rehabilitation and Guidance at Columbia Work in 1934-1935. She was a lawyer who never practiced
University, 1952-1953. law but went into social work instead.
BRACE, CHARLES LORING (1826-1890)
As one of the organizers of the Children's Aid Society COYLE, GRACE LONGWELL (1892-1962)
in New York City, Mr. Brace served for 40 years as its
Ms. Coyle's major influence was on the development
executive director. In this capacity he awakened the
of professional social work, particularly social group work,
conscience of his contemporaries to the plight of destitute
which method she extended into new areas. She was the
and vagrant children. The Children's Aid Society
first social worker to apply insights gained from the social
established industrial schools, newsboys' lodging houses,
sciences and educational theory in work with groups, thus
night schools, summer camps, and sanitarium. Its
laying down the foundation for modern group work
greatest impact was in the field of child welfare through its
practice. The impact of her first book Social Process in
use of foster care for children as one solution to the
Organized Groups has been compared to that of Mary
problem of juvenile delinquency, thus laying the
Richmond's Social Diagnosis in casework practice. Among
foundations for the reforms of the next generation.
the major papers she wrote or presented at conferences
He graduated from Yale University in 1846 and two were “Group Work and Social Change" (1935) and "Group
years later completed his studies at Yale Divinity School. Dynamics and the Practice of Social Work” (1950).
She held a certificate from the New York School of
Philanthropy in 1915 and a doctorate in Sociology from
BRECKINRIDGE, SOPHONISBA PRESTON (1866-1948)
Columbia University in 1931.
The introduction of unique courses at the School of
Social Services Administration of the University of Chicago
where she taught for many years was Ms. Breckinridge's DE JOYA, PETRA R. (1913-1987)
contribution to social welfare and social work. In 1921 she
Whichever position she occupied Ms. De Joya
introduced a course on public welfare administration and
always worked towards the professionalization of social
in 1927 two other unique courses: "Social Work and the
work, particularly through social work education.
Courts" and "The Family and the State." In her teachings
she placed strong emphasis on research, legislative action, In 1949 she became the chief of the Division of
and public administration. She was very active in Public Assistance of the Social Welfare Commission, the
professional social work organizations and served as forerunner of the now Department of Social Welfare and
president of the American Association of Schools of Social Development. In this position she introduced
professionalism and social concepts and principles to the
 Page |3

social workers, none of whom had had any formal training Ms. De Joya lobbied with others for the passage of
in social work. This experience underscored for her the the Social Work Law in 1965. Shortly after, she was
workers’ need for formal training. appointed a member of the very first Social Work Board of
Examiners where she served for a term of three years.
The opportunity to do something about it came in
1954 when she was invited to join the University of the Meanwhile UNICEF was so impressed with her work
Philippines to teach social work courses in the College of in the project that it assigned her to South Korea for a few
Arts and Sciences. Her classes were so popular among the months to develop a similar project for that country. Years
students that some of them decided to major in Social later she also served briefly as a social work consultant in
Work, then practically an unknown course. In 1956 a the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Department of Social Work was created and she was Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok. By then she was already
appointed its first head. This unit served as the beginning occupying the position of undersecretary for programs of
of the present U.P. College of Social Work and Community the newly created Department of Social Welfare. Here she
Development. continued to promote social work education and the
professionalization of social work. A master’s degree or its
By 1961 she had become the project director of the
equivalent is now required of those occupying supervisory
UNICEF-assisted Social Services Project of the Social
and/or managerial positions.
Welfare Administration (formerly SWC). The project
focused on the revitalization and improvement of child and Her last position before she retired was that of
youth welfare services which included the establishment of Deputy Director of the UN Social Welfare and Development
new institutions. However, Ms. De Joya saw to it that Center for Asia and the Pacific (SWDCAP) then located in
provisions were made for the in-service training and/or Metro Manila. The position enabled her to continue her
formal education of qualified workers. Fellowships and efforts in the training of social workers and allied workers,
study grants at the graduate level were set up. this time at the regional level.
As project director she made funds available for Ms. De Joya held undergraduate and graduate
social work research, the production of training materials, degrees’ in education from the Philippine Women’s
and the publication of social work books. The project also University. In 1948 she obtained a master’s degree in
sponsored the first workshops which enabled the schools Social Work from the Catholic University of America in
to work together to formulate common goals and Washington D.C.
guidelines for social work education. One of the by-
products of these workshops was the organization of what
is now known as the Schools of Social Work Association of FABELLA, JOSE, M.D. (1888-1945)
the Philippines (SSWAP).
 Page |4

Regarded as the “Father of Philippine Social 1941 and in 1942 she eventually published a book on her
Welfare,” Dr. Fabella was the Commissioner of Public experience entitled Casework Treatment of a Child.
Welfare and later, the first secretary of the pre-war
She received a Master of Social Service degree from
Department of Health and Welfare. A doctor of medicine,
Smith College of Social Work, U.S.A., in 1929.
he also devoted much of his time to public welfare
concerns.
He supervised and directed the planning and
development of Welfareville Institutions, led the reform
HAMILTON, GORDON (1892-1967)
movement in the treatment of minor delinquents and the
establishment of juvenile courts. He was the moving spirit Considered one of the greats in social work history,
in the establishment of the “Settlement House” which has she was the foremost theorist for the diagnostic school of
through the years, provided temporary shelter to needy casework. She helped promote the development of the
children and women, and he lent his support to the casework theory and for almost 40 years she was one of
Associated Charities of Manila, a private family welfare the most forceful advocates of a close link between social
agency. Through his efforts this agency was later absorbed casework, social welfare, and social action.
by the Bureau of Public Welfare to form the nucleus of its
Division of Public Assistance, the forerunner of what is Her greatest contributions to social work stemmed
now known as the Bureau of Family and Community from her roles as teacher and writer. In 1940 her most
Welfare. influential book, Theory and Practice of Social Casework
was published. In it she deals with social philosophy and
values and the roles of casework in the broad spectrum of
social work, the helping relationship as well as the helping
GARRETT, ANNETTE MARIE (1898-1957)
process.
Ms. Garrett is best known to Filipino social workers
She obtained an AB degree from Bryn Mawr in
for her book Interviewing, Its Principles and Methods which
1914. Her involvement in war work during World War I
has been translated in 12 languages in other parts of the
ultimately led to her career in social work.
world.
Her chief contribution to social work was in the area
of casework. Besides giving courses in casework at Smith HOPKINS, HARRY LLOYD (1890-1946)
College, she was director of field operations and insisted
that all social work students should have first-hand Mr. Hopkins obtained national prominence as a
experience. In line with this principle she herself social worker and a U.S. political adviser during the
undertook the treatment of a child in foster placement in
 Page |5

depression of the 1930s. He was the administrator of the social work education as the first head of the Department
first federal relief programs in the history of the U.S. of Catholic Social Work, a graduate school department of
the University of Santo Tomas which she herself initiated
Charged that federal money was being used lavishly
and organized.
(it was being paid out as work relief for public works)
Hopkins held that the thousands of projects had not only A holder of an MA in Literature from the University
fed the hungry, clothed the needy and sheltered the of Michigan, Senator Katigbak obtained an MA in Social
homeless but had also enriched the economy. Besides the Work from the University of the Philippines and a Ph.D. in
public, works program, federal money was also used to Sociology from the University of Santo Tomas.
teach two million illiterates to read and write, and boys
LATHROP, JULIA CLIFFORD (1858-1932)
and girls were helped toward self-support through the
National Youth Administration. Eventually, Hopkins The first chief of the U.S. Children’s Bureau, Ms.
changed the system of “work for relief” and instituted the Lathrop was also the co-founder of the Chicago School of
payment of a decent wage in cash for those employed in Civics and Philanthropy (now School of Social Service
work projects thus saving the self-respect of millions of Administration of the University of Chicago). She served in
persons who were victims of the depression. In so doing the Children’s Bureau for nine years (1912-1921)
Paul Kellog, editor of Survey hailed him as “our first investigating and reporting the social, health, and
conservator of human resources in the U.S.A.” employment problems of children, gathering and analyzing
data on infant and maternal mortality and the growth of
He was personal adviser to President Franklin
infants and young children, and developing a plan for
Roosevelt and President Harry Truman.
action that culminated in a grant-in-aid program for
maternity and infant services in 1921.
KATIGBAK, MARIA KALAW She graduated from Vassar College in 1880 and
began her career in social work as a resident of Hull
As senator (1961-67) Dr. Katigbak authored and
House in Chicago, U.S.A.
sponsored R.A. 4373 (1965) entitled “An Act to Regulate
the Practice of Social Work and the Operation of Social
Work Agencies in the Philippines and for Other Purposes”
LAUDICO, MINERVA G. (1912
better known as the Social Work Law. This law legitimized
the practice of social work as a profession instead of just a Educator, pioneer, social and civic action worker,
simple act of charity. Among her distinctive achievements Dr. Laudico introduced social work education to the
was the organization of the Catholic Charities of Manila Philippines. Her major contribution to the
where she served for several years as the first Executive professionalization of social work in the Philippines is
director. For a time, she was also very much involved in obscured by her better known achievements in the field of
 Page |6

social and civic action. But she was instrumental in Mr. Lee contributed greatly to the development of
opening a social work course at the Centro Escolar social casework theory and practice. He started out as a
University in 1948 – the first of its kind in the country. By practitioner and eventually became a pioneer in social
the early 1950s a few other schools followed suit. What work education.
made her innovation unique is that the social work
He joined the faculty of the New York School of
program was offered at the undergraduate or bachelor’s
Social Work in 1912 (now known as Columbia University’s
level this at a time when professional training in the U.S.
School of Social Work) and became its director in 1917.
was offered only at the master’s or graduate level.
His book Social Work: Cause and Function presents the
However, Dr. Laudico firmly believed that at that critical
illuminating interrelationship and contrasts between the
period of Philippine history, this was just after World War
social reformer and the social technician. He also helped
II, the demand was for social workers who could meet the
integrate into social casework the insights of psychology,
people’s emergency needs and rehabilitation work. She
psychiatry, political science, economics and sociology.
then considered it as preparatory training for the
professional course which would be offered at the graduate Mr. Lee helped formulate the generic social
level. Nevertheless, CEU offered professional Courses like casework theory stating that the process in social
Social Work Methods at the bachelor’s level as casework and the equipment of the worker should be
introductory courses. Her foresight was finally rewarded basically the same for all fields. This was a landmark in
when the Social Work Law was passed in 1965 recognizing the development of the social work profession as schools
the courses offered at the bachelor’s level as preparatory were stimulated to apply generic-specific concepts to their
to the students’ practice of social work. In 1950 CEU curricula and to prepare social work students for general
opened a master’s program for Social Work. She remained practice instead of for specific agency jobs.
the head of the College of Social Work for twenty years,
He was instrumental in organizing the American
revising and updating the curricula to meet new demands.
Association of Schools of Social Work in 1919. In 1929 he
Mrs. Laudico finished Social Work in 1935 at the was elected president of the National Conference of Social
National Catholic School of Social Service of the Catholic Work.
University of America in Washington D.C. In 1953 she was
He graduated from Cornell University in 1903 and in
conferred an honorary doctor’s degree by the Baguio
the same year attended a summer institute at the New
University. She is now the Vice-President for Academic
York School of Philanthropy.
Affairs of the Centro Escolar University.

MARTINEZ, JOSEFA JARA (1894-1987)

LEE, POSTER RAYMOND (1879-1939)
 Page |7

Mrs. Martinez will always be remembered as the first workers. In this way she demonstrated that there were
and foremost among Filipino social work pioneers. other ways of helping people improve their well-being other
than meeting their material needs. After World War II she
She was the first Filipina to obtain formal education
assisted in the conceptualization and establishment of the
in social work having earned a diploma from the New York
Community Chest of Greater Manila, the Council of
School of Social Work in 1921. She was thus the first
Welfare Agencies and the Association of Red Feather
Filipina to demonstrate more scientific ways of helping
Agencies.
people in trouble.
She served as UN social welfare /social work adviser
In 1950, with the encouragement and support of
to the following countries: Guatemala (1956-59; 1966-67),
Ms. Helena Benitez she organized the first graduate school
Mexico (1960, 1963-1964). She was an interim consultant
of social work now known as the Philippine School of
with the UNICEF-assisted SWA Social Services Project
Social Work, an affiliate of the Philippine Women’s
(1961) and training consultant with the Philippine Rural
University.
Reconstruction Movement for several years.
Her early years (1921-1934) as a practitioner were
MITCHELL, THOMAS A. S.J. (1914- )
spent in the field of child welfare. As chief of the Division
of Dependent Children under the Office of the Public Father Mitchell was the founder of Social Work, a
Welfare Commissioner she helped plan Welfareville, then publication of the PASW and was its publisher-editor from
the site of all government child-caring institutions. She 1953 to 1966. During this period, he was at the same time
helped organize women’s clubs and pueri-culture centers the Director of the Social Work Center of Manila. Under
so as to promote maternal and child health. At one point his leadership this center specialized in consultative,
she was detailed to the Associated Charities of Manila participative research and publication as well as in
where she served as the first Filipina executive secretary. operating a small family, welfare unit. Community
Here, one of her major responsibilities was the training of participation and/or consultation concerned itself with
“home visitors” as the pioneer caseworkers were then such matters as the analysis of community needs,
called. evaluation of agency policies, services and procedures to
meet these needs, establishing personnel qualifications
In 1934 she became the executive secretary of the
and practice standards, conducting in-service training
Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) a position
careers, public relations and inter-agency conferences.
she held until 1946. It was a different field of endeavor for
her. She initiated vacation camps for girls and women, He was ordained to the priesthood in 1946 at
promoted adult literacy classes, family life education, Woodstock, Maryland and obtained his Master of Social
travelers aid, vocational guidance, cooperative kitchens, Work degree from Fordham University in 1950.
rest room for students, business women and factory
 Page |8

MURPHY, IRENE ELLIS (1900- ) Mrs. Perez was the very first Administrator of Social
Welfare, a position that had a cabinet rank without
An American, Ms. Murphy is best remembered by
portfolio, thus making her the first woman cabinet
local social workers for heading the team which developed
member in the Philippines. She held this post from 1951-
the “Rice-Wage Formula” in 1948. This has become the
1953. The Social Welfare Administration (SWA), then the
basis for computing the amount of material assistance to
national social welfare agency which was created in 1951,
be given to a needy family. The formula is premised on the
was replaced in 1968 by the Department of Social Welfare.
theory that the price of rice at a given time or period
determined likewise the high and low prices of other family As an administrator she expanded public welfare
budget items like food, clothing, and shelter. Thus, during coverage to the farthest provinces and towns; she gave
the early 1950s to get the minimum monthly income further impetus to the principles of self-help, promoted
needed by a family of five persons, one had to multiply the urban and rural community development, land reform and
current price per ganta of rice by the formula number of resettlement, slums clearance and housing and expanded
145. This formula has since been updated by the DSWD. the coverage of public welfare services to other cities,
provinces and towns. She supervised the improvement of
As a UN consultant to the Philippine Relief and
child welfare services, directed public assistance to a
Trade Rehabilitation Administration (PRATRA) she helped
family-oriented one, and encouraged the adoption of a
to revitalize cottage industries, among them native arts
program for the vocational rehabilitation of the
and crafts such as woodcarving and weaving particularly
handicapped.
among the ethnic groups.
Starting as a volunteer “home visitor” of the
Ms. Murphy promoted the professionalization of
Associated Charities of Manila, Mrs. Perez later became its
social work immediately after the war by organizing
executive secretary for many years. She served as the
refresher courses and institutes such as the Institutes on
director of the Bureau of Public Welfare during the war
Social Casework conducted by two UN Advisers in 1948.
and was appointed commissioner when the Bureau was
She also had a hand in the sending abroad of middle
converted into the Social Welfare Commission in 1947,
management staff through UN fellowships. She stayed in
and ultimately, the head of the Social Welfare
the Philippines from 1946 to 1953 and has since gone
Administration During the war she was interned briefly in
back to the U.S. where she has promoted and encouraged
Fort Santiago for underground activities.
the importation of native crafts from the Philippines.
From 1948 to 1950 she was the Chairman of the
President’s Action Committee on Social Amelioration
PEREZ, ASUNCION ARRIOLA (1893-1967) (PACSA), a creation of President Quirino.
 Page |9

She retired from government service in 1954 and In 1897, having observed the frequent failure of
served as president of the Wesleyan University in cases to respond successfully to treatment, she
Cabanatuan City until 1967. recommended the establishment of a training school for
professional social workers at the National Conference of
Charities and Corrections in Toronto. As a result, the New
PRAY, KENNETH (1882-1948) York School of Philanthropy was established a few years
later. It was the very first school of social work and is now
Mr. Pray, is best known for his papers outlining the
known as the School of Social Work of Columbia
activities of community organization as a basic method in
University. She taught in this school for many years.
social work. He was dean of the School of Social Work at
the University of Pennsylvania, consultant on social affairs
to the United Nations Secretariat and adviser to
SILVA, FELICIDAD ALVAREZ (1896-1983)
Pennsylvania prisons and industrial schools. He
graduated from the University of Wisconsin. Mrs. Silva was best known for her apostolate work,
having served for more than fifty years in various
capacities in connection with the mission of the Catholic
Church.

RICHMOND, MARY ELLEN (1861-1928) In 1928 she was appointed secretary of “Federacion
Catholica de Mujeres de Filipinas,” now known as the
The first comprehensive statement on the principles
Catholic Women’s League (CWL) of the Philippines, a
of social casework was formulated by Ms. Richmond. In
position she held for twenty years. She pioneered in the
1917 her best known book Social Diagnosis was
putting up of social work services and social action
published. This was the culmination of more than
activities under Catholic auspices. She introduced
seventeen years of research and experience in the
casework and counseling services for women or girls in
principles and techniques of social investigation. It was
distress and provided assistance to those with family and
the first formulation of the theory and method of social
marital problems, juvenile delinquency and
diagnosis and became regarded as evidence of the
unemployment. She established rest rooms for working
professionalization of social work. In 1922 she published
women and students and conducted sessions on religion,
What is Social Casework which she defined as “those
arts and culture and other worthwhile leisure time
processes which develop personality through adjustments
activities, using the help of volunteers.
consciously effected, individual by individual, between
men and their social environment.” Before the war she organized and supervised four
night schools sponsored by the CWL to enable your
women and girls to study. She successfully fought against
 P a g e | 10

the reopening of a “Red Light District” in Manila and was casework practitioners who adhered to the Freudian
active in social action groups exposing the motels which theory and called themselves the “diagnostic” group.
were exploiting young women and girls. Today, the two approaches appear to be able to function
side by side depending upon the circumstances. She
As a Catholic action worker, Mrs. Silva was a
received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1912.
pioneer “pro-life” advocate, opposing birth control almost
singlehandedly by writing a series of articles and speeches
against it. She was also opposed to the liberalization of the
TOWLE, CHARLOTTE (1896-1966)
divorce law.
Ms. Towle is best known in the Philippines for her
She was involved in improving services for children
book Common Human Needs. First published in 1945, the
and youth advocating temporary care in institutions as a
book has since become a classic.
last resort and not 10-15 years as was then the practice.
She is credited with three major contributions to
Mrs. Silva received her master of arts degree with a
social work:
professional certificate in social work from the National
Catholic School of Social Service of the Catholic University (1) Her creation of a generic casework curriculum based
of America in Washington D.C. in 1925. on her early conviction that all caseworkers, not just
“psychiatric social workers,” needed knowledge
about human behavior and a broad range of
treatment approaches;
(2) her pioneer efforts to synthesize personality and
TAFT, JULIA JESSIE (1882-1960) educational theories to develop a more
Dr. Taft was the founder of what became known comprehensive approach to social work education;
during the 1940s as the “functional” school of social work. and
With Virginia Robinson, a friend and colleague, she (3) her attempt in Common Human Needs, to link the
developed a psychologically oriented curriculum at the understanding of human behavior and needs with
Pennsylvania School of Social Work where she taught the administration of public assistance programs.
social casework until her retirement in 1952. This (See “common human needs”)
orientation brought the psychoanalytic approach of Otto Mrs. Towle took up Social Work at the New York
Rank into social casework practice. School of Social Work in 1926.
In the 1940s a schism in casework practice
developed between the functional school which was based
on the ideas of Otto Rank and the majority of social VERGARA, JOSE M.D. (1894- )
 P a g e | 11

Jose J. Vergara is a doctor of medicine who became

a pioneer in the field of youth welfare and built a
successful career in public service. Three innovations in
this area are attributed to him. The very first was the
establishment of the Child Guidance Clinic as a special
service for juvenile offenders who were brought to Branch
III of the Municipal Court of Manila. Case studies were
prepared to assist the judge in the proper disposition of
the case. The second was the introduction of psychiatric
concepts in the treatment of juvenile offenders. This took
place during the middle 1930s when Dr. Vergara was
designated acting chief of the National Psychopathic (now
Mental) Hospital where he served for a year and a half. For
the first time medical students were taken in for training
in psychiatry and to assist in the treatment of patients
suffering from somatic diseases. His third important work
was the establishment during the early 193Os of
community health and social centers in the depressed
areas of San Nicolas, Tondo, Sta. Cruz, and Sampaloc in
the city of Manila. These centers provided both health and
welfare services and approximated today’s community
centers.
Dr. Vergara finished medicine at the University of
the Philippines in 1921. In 1925-1926 he trained in
psychiatry under a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship in
the U.S.