Social workers have been dedicating themselves to improving lives for decades. The history of social work demonstrates that although the issues and policies change, the profession’s core commitments have stayed the same.

How Did the Social Work Profession Begin?

The social work profession began with neighbors helping neighbors. Over time, those informal efforts evolved into a trained, organized field grounded in research and connected to schools, hospitals, and government systems.

In the late 1800s, rapid industrialization transformed American society. Factories drew millions of people into crowded cities, where poverty, unsafe housing, child labor, and poor working conditions were widespread.¹ As these challenges intensified, social change advocates sought new ways to respond. Their efforts gave rise to two major reform movements that would shape the foundation of modern social work:

1. Charity Organization Societies (COS)
   These groups believed poverty could be reduced through better organization and personal guidance. They recruited volunteers, often called “friendly visitors,” who met with families to assess their needs and provide advice. Their work laid the foundation for modern social work casework by looking closely at a person’s situation and responding meaningfully.²
2. The Settlement House Movement 
   Adherents to this model took a different view. Leaders like Jane Addams believed poverty was caused by harsh living and working conditions, not personal actions. Settlement workers lived in immigrant neighborhoods and offered classes, childcare, and healthcare while pushing for labor laws and housing reform. This approach shaped community organizing and social advocacy.³

By the early 1900s, the people doing social work wanted it to be recognized as a true profession. Mary Richmond  answered the call. In her 1917 book Social Diagnosis, she outlined a careful, evidence-based method for investigating and addressing social problems, helping to define the scientific foundation of social casework.⁴

Who Were the Social Work Pioneers?

The social work pioneers were individuals who challenged assumptions, built institutions, and expanded the profession’s reach. Visionaries from the 1800s to the present are pathfinders who are still writing the history of social work.

Here are six social work pioneers whose ideas and leadership transformed social work into a force for national reform and social justice:

Elizabeth Fry  (1780–1845) 
Long before social work became a formal discipline, Elizabeth Fry earned the title “angel of prisons” for her tireless advocacy on behalf of women and children in London’s Newgate Prison. Beginning in 1813, she organized volunteer committees to visit prisoners and support their reintegration into society, laying the groundwork for modern probation services. Her efforts led to significant prison reforms being enshrined in British law that still influence correctional systems worldwide.⁵

Jane Addams (1860–1935)
Known as the “mother of social work,” Jane Addams co-founded Hull House in Chicago, bringing the settlement house movement to America. Jane Addams social work extended far beyond the neighborhood; she was a tireless advocate for labor laws, women's suffrage, and world peace, becoming the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.⁶

Mary Richmond (1861–1928)
If Jane Addams was the heart of social reform, Mary Richmond built the framework. As a leader in the Charity Organization Society movement, she helped make charity work more organized and professional. She believed in carefully collecting information, keeping good records, and understanding a person’s situation before offering help—ideas that became the basis of modern social work.⁴

Frances Perkins (1880–1965)
Rooted in the settlement house movement, Frances Perkins brought social work principles into the federal government during the Great Depression. As Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she helped shape New Deal programs that expanded government responsibility for protecting workers and supporting struggling families and was a chief architect of the Social Security Act.⁷ (Read more about Perkins below.)

George Edmund Haynes (1880–1960)
George Edmund Haynes was a sociologist and the first African American to earn a PhD from Columbia University. In 1910, he co-founded the National Urban League to help Black families moving north find jobs, housing, and support. He also helped establish one of the first graduate social work programs for Black students at Fisk University, widening access to professional training and strengthening efforts to fight racial inequality.⁸

Dr. Barbara Solomon (1935 –) 
Dr. Barbara Solomon reshaped modern social work practice with her influential book Black Empowerment: Social Work in Oppressed Communities (1976), which introduced empowerment as a framework for addressing systemic inequality in clinical and community practice. Her work helped move the profession toward culturally responsive, justice-oriented approaches that recognize and confront power imbalances.⁹

Before retiring, Solomon served as professor and vice provost at the University of Southern California and now holds the title professor and vice provost emerita. She also served for nearly three decades on Walden University’s board of directors and is now a board member emerita. In recognition of her lasting contributions to social work education and practice, Walden named its school of Social Work in her honor.

What  Landmark Legislation Did Social Work Shape?

Social work shaped landmark legislation that expanded the federal government’s role in protecting workers and helping families in need. Although many pioneers began in settlement houses, hospitals, and community agencies, their impact went beyond local work. Over time, their ideas influenced national policy, as evidenced by the following landmark legislation:

The New Deal (1933–1939) and the WPA (1935–1943)
When the Great Depression left millions without work or income, social worker Harry Hopkins became a key leader of President Roosevelt’s New Deal relief programs. A former settlement house worker and president of the American Association of Social Workers, Hopkins believed “work relief” protected people’s dignity better than direct cash assistance.¹⁰ As administrator of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), he carried out this approach nationwide, overseeing programs that employed more than 8.5 million Americans to build schools, parks, and bridges.¹¹

The Social Security Act of 1935
The foundation of America’s modern social safety net was shaped in large part by Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. Drawing on her background in settlement work and labor reform, Perkins brought decades of advocacy for worker safety and economic security to the Roosevelt administration. As chair of the Committee on Economic Security, she played a leading role developing the Social Security Act, guiding the proposal through political opposition and helping establish old-age pensions and unemployment insurance as federal responsibilities rather than charitable aid.¹²

The War on Poverty (1964–1968) and the Civil Rights Act (1964)
In the 1960s, social worker Whitney M. Young Jr., executive director of the National Urban League, became a leading voice for economic justice. He argued that civil rights meant little without economic opportunity, saying, “You can’t eat dignity.” He called for a “Domestic Marshall Plan”—a major federal investment in jobs, education, and housing to reduce poverty in Black communities. His ideas influenced President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty (launched in 1964) and contributed to broader national conversations linking civil rights to economic opportunity.¹³

Finding Your Path Forward: Earning a Social Work Degree

From the “friendly visitors” of the 19th century to the policy architects of the New Deal and the Civil Rights Act, social work has grown into a diverse profession attracting changemakers and community leaders.

Following in the footsteps of these social work pioneers takes more than just passion; it requires the advanced skills offered in a Master of Social Work (MSW) program. An MSW helps prepare professionals to help shape the next chapter in the history of social work.

Walden University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) online degree program is designed for professionals who want to gain the knowledge needed for higher-level practice. The curriculum builds on the foundations laid by social work pioneers while addressing today’s most pressing challenges. Students study evidence-based practices, trauma-informed care, and effective approaches for working with diverse populations.

What Sets Walden’s MSW Program Apart?

What sets Walden’s MSW program apart is that it’s built around the realities of your life. Whether you're already working in the field or plan to transition into social work, Walden’s approach meets you where you are by offering:

• Flexible online education: Study from anywhere, at times that work with your responsibilities.
• Multiple focus areas: Target learning on specialties that include addictions, children and families, and trauma.
• Accessible schedule options: Choose from full-time or part-time pathways to fit your circumstances.
• Field education support: Connect classroom learning to real-world practice and participate in weekly live seminars with faculty and peers to share experiences.
• Dedicated faculty: Learn from experienced faculty who are committed to supporting you throughout your program.
• Supportive learning community: Connect with social workers nationwide who bring diverse perspectives.

To learn more about Walden's CWSE-accredited online MSW degree program, call an Enrollment Specialist at 855-646-5286 or request information online. Explore a university and curriculum built on social change and discover how your commitment to social work can take root and flourish.

Walden University is an HLC-accredited institution offering online certificate programs and bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

¹Source: https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/civil-war-reconstruction/progressive-era/
²Source: https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/mental-health/scientific-charity-movement-charity-organization-societies/
³Source: www.hullhousemuseum.org/about-jane-addams
⁴Source: https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/social-work/richmond-mary/
⁵Source : https://historyofsocialwork.org/eng/details.php?cps=0&canon_id=149
⁶Source: www.naswfoundation.org/Our-Work/NASW-Social-Work-Pioneers/NASW-Social-Workers-Pioneers-Bio-Index/id/44?utm_
⁷Source: https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/frances-perkins-woman-behind-weekend-minimum-wage-and-safer-working-conditions
⁸Source: www.naswfoundation.org/Our-Work/NASW-Social-Work-Pioneers/NASW-Social-Workers-Pioneers-Bio-Index/id/676
⁹Source: www.waldenu.edu/news-and-events/walden-news/2016/0211-the-barbara-solomon-school-of-social-work-and-human-services
¹⁰Source: https://uh-ir.tdl.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/dd349efe-5755-4f30-9c0c-f63035bb8ca9/content
¹¹Source: www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/surviving-the-dust-bowl-works-progress-administration-wpa/
¹²Source: https://francesperkinscenter.org/2025/08/12/social-security-turns-90-this-week-frances-perkins-enduring-legacy/
¹³Source: www.nps.gov/people/whitney-young-jr.htm

Walden University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the CSWE-BOA indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the BOA has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.

Walden University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.