Challenges and Growth, 1917-1940
The period between 1917 and 1940 was marked by both challenges and remarkable growth for SSW. In the aftermath of World War I, SSW was not immune to the national trend of falling enrollment numbers in social work programs. However, with a strategic turn towards advertising that began in 1920, SSW adapted to the era’s challenges and addressed the shifting needs of society. Under the leadership of directors such as Stuart A. Queen, Eva Whiting White, and Katharine Davis Hardwick, the School expanded its curriculum to include innovative programs in medical and psychiatric social work as well as public service and began to host specialized summer institutes in medical social work, first established by Ida Cannon in 1924.
This era also witnessed a growing national emphasis on the importance of graduate education as a route towards the professionalization of social work. In 1939, SSW made the strategic decision to cease offering social work undergraduate degrees, opting to concentrate exclusively on graduate education to ensure a higher standard of training. Despite the societal challenges of the Great Depression, the School continued to thrive, offering students opportunities to engage with pressing social issues through partnerships with local organizations and agencies.
Grounded in these practical experiences and SSW’s rigorous curriculum, students and alumni continued to push social boundaries and assert themselves as leaders in the field. Anna Mae DeBerry ‘29 challenged the overwhelmingly white arena of social work when she became the School’s first Black graduate. Sara Porter ‘29 became a leading figure in social work, serving as Director of the Boston Family Welfare Society and Junior Director of the Lincoln Settlement House. Catherine Toomey Keefe ‘39 made an impact in the realm of social work education as a Professor at Rutgers University. Keefe was married five years after her graduation and raised three children while continuing to work until she retired at age 62.
Indeed, during this era, many graduates from SSW continued to work regardless of marital status or children. In a survey of graduates from the class of 1939, SSW found that respondents had worked an average of 33 years after graduation. As one interviewee explained, “Faculty of the Simmons Graduate School of Social Work made it clear that they expected you to have a career. Marriage and children were OK, but don’t let them interfere with your career!” This professionally-oriented ethos built a community of alumni who remained active with SSW long after graduation. In 1924, The Social Worker, SSW’s alumni magazine, was first published to bring news about the School to alumni and foster a community of graduates after they left Simmons. Furthermore, in 1933, the SSW Alumni Association was founded to further strengthen the connection between the School and its graduates.
Despite challenges faced earlier in the period, SSW continued to provide an innovative and transformative education that paved the way toward professional success for its graduates. The School’s curriculum and community not only responded to the changing needs of the era, but thrived through the creation of unique programs esteemed throughout the field.
Stuart A. Queen (1890-1987)
Dr. Stuart A. Queen was a distinguished American sociologist whose career bridged academic scholarship and practical application, particularly in the field of social work. A graduate of Pomona College (1910), Queen went on to earn his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He paused his academic path several times to work with charitable organizations, reflecting his enduring commitment to the real-world utility of sociological knowledge.
From 1919 to 1922, Queen served as the second Director of SSW during a pivotal time when the School began its first major advertising efforts in response to rising competition and declining enrollment. His leadership helped shape the School’s early identity in the expanding field of social work education.
After his tenure at Simmons, Queen became a sociology professor at the University of Kansas (1922–1930) and later at the University of Washington (1932 until retirement). In 1941, he was elected President of the American Sociological Association. Throughout his career, Queen championed the integration of sociological theory with social work practice, leaving a legacy of relevance and reform in both disciplines.
Eva Whiting White (1885-1974)
Eva Whiting White was a trailblazing figure in American social work, known for her visionary leadership, civic activism, and deep commitment to education. Born in Webster, Massachusetts, she became the first student to graduate from the Boston School for Social Workers in 1907. She pursued graduate studies at both the University of Wisconsin and Columbia University, establishing herself early on as a leader in the field.
In 1922, White became the third Director of SSW and joined the faculty as Professor of Social Economy, positions she held until 1929 and 1950, respectively. During her tenure, the School expanded its programming to include summer institutes in medical and psychiatric social work as well as public service. Under her direction, SSW developed affiliations with the American Red Cross and the Training School for Public Service, significantly enhancing its national reputation.
Beyond Simmons, White was deeply involved in civic life. From 1909 to 1944, she served as Headworker and later Director of the Elizabeth Peabody House, a settlement house in Boston’s West End. She also held influential roles such as Director of the Americanization and Immigration Division of the Massachusetts Board of Education (1927–1950), member of the Boston Board of Public Welfare (1925–1947), and President of the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union (1929–1952). A passionate advocate for social reform, housing, and immigrant rights, White retired from public service in 1953 and left behind a legacy of institutional innovation and civic engagement that helped shape the future of social work in Boston and beyond.
Katharine Davis Hardwick (1886-1974)
Katharine Davis Hardwick was a pioneering social worker and transformative leader whose tenure as the fourth Director of SSW (1929–1952) marked a period of major institutional growth and innovation. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Boston University (1907), Hardwick began her career as a case worker with the Boston Family Welfare Society in the city's North End. Her early experience laid the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to public service and social work education.
Hardwick brought field-tested experience to Simmons, having served during World War I as a field worker with the National Red Cross in Maine and later as head of the organization’s New England Field Service Department. After a decade as District Secretary of the Boston Family Society, she joined Simmons in 1925 as Assistant Director and ascended to the role of Director in 1929.
Under Hardwick’s leadership, the School underwent foundational changes: it became a graduate-level only institution, moved from 18 Somerset Street to 51 Commonwealth Avenue, and made research a core part of its curriculum. She oversaw the formation of the School’s Alumni Association and forged significant field partnerships, including psychiatric social work training at Massachusetts General Hospital (1933), a cooperative program with Tufts to recruit male students (1940), summer internships with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (1940), a teaching collaboration with Harvard’s School of Public Health (1945), and the establishment of a psychiatric teaching unit at Beth Israel Hospital (1949).
During World War II, Hardwick steered SSW to meet the national demand for trained social workers by introducing accelerated programs. Even after her retirement in 1952, she remained active in public service, contributing to the State Mental Health Center in Pocanet. Hardwick passed away in Marston Mills, Cape Cod, in 1974, leaving a profound legacy in professional social work education and practice.
Maida Herman Solomon (1891-1988)
Maida Herman Solomon was a pioneering force in the advancement of psychiatric social work and a lifelong advocate for women, mental health, and social justice. Born in Boston, Solomon excelled academically, graduating from Boston Girls’ Latin School in 1908. She earned her A.B. from Smith College in 1912, followed by a B.S. from Simmons College in 1914. It was during her college years that Solomon became actively involved in the suffrage movement, joining the Massachusetts Women’s Suffrage Association and marching in the 1915 Boston Suffrage Parade.
In 1916, she married Dr. Harry Caesar Solomon (1889-1982), a clinical psychiatrist. Through him, she was introduced to Mary Jarrett (1877-1961), Head of Social Work at Boston Psychopathic Hospital, where Maida began her own career in psychiatric social work. She soon joined the Hospital’s staff as a fieldworker, working closely with both Jarrett and her husband. Together, Maida and Harry Solomon co-authored several significant works in the field, including Syphilis of the Innocent (1920), which explored the social and psychological dimensions of sexually transmitted disease.
By the 1920s, Solomon’s focus had shifted from institutional work to community-based engagement. She served on the board of Hecht House, a Jewish girls’ settlement home in Boston, and became increasingly involved in education and curriculum development. In 1934, SSW invited her to develop a new psychiatric social work program. Under her leadership, the program centered on individualized instruction and immersive field placements.
Solomon was a beloved Professor of Social Economy and served as Department Head beginning in 1942. Known for her mentorship and advocacy, she supported her students in finding employment and often championed the professional ambitions of married women—then a rare stance in academic circles. She retired in 1957 with the title of Professor Emerita, though she continued to work as a consultant and advisor well into her nineties. Her post-retirement efforts included collaborations with institutions such as Boston State Hospital and the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. She also remained deeply connected to Simmons, contributing to the annual selection process for the psychiatric social work award established in her name.
Beyond her academic and clinical contributions, Solomon maintained a deep commitment to civic and cultural organizations. She held leadership positions with the Boston Community Fund, the Massachusetts Society of Social Hygiene, and the Red Cross’s Psychiatric Advisory Board. She was active in Jewish community affairs, serving as Vice President of the Union Park Forum and as a key figure in the National Council of Jewish Women’s Boston chapter. Most notably, she helped establish and became the first president of the American Association for Psychiatric Social Workers (AAPSW), cementing her role as a national leader in the profession.
Maida Herman Solomon passed away in January 1988, leaving behind a legacy defined by compassion, intellect, and unwavering dedication to the advancement of psychiatric social work.
