Brown School Eras

While 1925 marks the official founding of the Brown School, the groundwork was preceded by decades of pivotal developments. The journey began in 1860 with the establishment of the St. Louis Provident Association, dedicated to “corrective charity.” This momentum continued into 1903 when the Association established formal social work training in St. Louis by founding the St. Louis School of Philanthropy, the fourth social work school in the country. 

In February 1907, the Provident Association, in partnership with the University of Missouri, launched a structured training program for social workers. Despite facing state budget cuts, the University of Missouri and WashU chancellors recognized the program’s critical importance, relocating it to WashU in 1909 and naming it the St. Louis School of Social Economy. Tuition was $25 per school year or $5 per course if taking fewer than three courses per term. 

The program’s success was undeniable. With growing enrollment and a flourishing reputation, it became an official department at WashU in 1913. However, as WashU adopted a more conservative leadership, sentiment shifted, leading to funding cuts and the program’s eventual disbandment. In 1916, the school reattached to the University of Missouri, renaming itself the Missouri School of Social Economy. This arrangement continued until 1924, when the rural-dominated state legislature, seeking budget cuts, targeted the school, leading to its closure. 

Simultaneously, on a national level, social work was gradually taking shape as a field. By 1919, there were 17 schools of social work in the United States and Canada. Relentless advocacy by social workers in St. Louis reignited the training course at WashU, setting the stage for the establishment of the Brown School. 

In 1925, WashU’s Training Course for Social Workers began under the leadership of Frank Bruno, who headed WashU’s social work program until 1945. The bare-bones program launched in the fall of 1925, initially as part of Arts & Sciences. It was focused solely on coursework, offering 11 classes. By 1927, it had transferred to the School of Commerce and Finance, later the School of Business and Public Administration, with three focus areas: general casework, medical social work, and recreational social work. The first bachelor’s degree was awarded in 1926, and the first master’s degree in 1927. 

In 1928, Betty Bofinger Brown, widow of Brown Shoe founder George Warren Brown, endowed the Department of Social Work, with more than $500,000. The only stipulation was that the department be named after her husband. With this endowment, the program, now a full-fledged department within the business school, expanded its course offerings to 15. In 1929, Bruno announced two $350 scholarships, which were especially welcome with the onset of the Great Depression in October 1929, placing new demands on social workers nationwide.  

Mrs. Brown passed away in 1934, leaving another substantial bequest to the George Warren Brown Department of Social Work. Her will included a few requirements: the university had to start a building for the department within a year; carve “George Warren Brown,” in stone above the front door; the remainder of her bequest be used as an endowment for the department only, not for the university; and that a room be set aside for social gatherings. Dedicated in 1937, Brown Hall may be the first building in the United States erected solely for social work. The three-story structure, measuring 221 by 88 feet, includes a second-floor memorial lounge, as stipulated by Mrs. Brown.  

In 1945, the George Warren Brown Department of Social Work severed ties with the School of Business, and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work was established. That same year, Frank Bruno stepped down, and Benjamin Youngdahl was named dean of the newly created school, GWB, as it became known informally.  

Despite this bustling and prosperous era, Dean Benjamin Youngdahl was frustrated by one significant issue: WashU’s exclusion of Black students. Disturbed by this policy, he began a vigorous campaign to change it. In December 1947, the WashU board approved the admission of Black students into the Social Work program, starting in the fall of 1948. This made the George Warren Brown School of Social Work (GWB) the first school at WashU to admit African-American students. By the fall of 1949, eight Black graduate students were enrolled.  

Life at GWB wasn’t all hard work, however. Brown Lounge was the hub of school life, hosting Thursday lunches, afternoon coffee, and frequent bridge games. At Christmas time, there was always a party; in the late spring, a banquet; and throughout the year several dances.  

The school’s motto, “Training students to help those who can’t help themselves,” guided its mission. In 1947, Youngdahl and faculty developed the school’s first 10-year strategic plan. By 1950-1951, full-time enrollment peaked at 142, with an additional 40 to 50 part-time students. By June 1961, the school was graduating a record five doctoral students. 

In 1962, Youngdahl stepped down as dean, and Wayne Vasey succeeded him.  

Although no longer the dean, Benjamin Youngdahl remained a faculty member and received numerous end-of-career honors. A committee established the Benjamin E. Youngdahl Lecture Fund, and alumni contributions funded an oil portrait. Perhaps the most exciting event was the inaugural Benjamin E. Youngdahl Lecture, delivered by Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey at WashU on October 28, 1965. Youngdhal left St. Louis in 1966. 

When new dean Wayne Vasey arrived on campus, he was personally liked for his sense of humor and storytelling talent. Professionally, he brought national social work connections and tackled the perennial problem of declining dropping. He also faced the pressing issue of curriculum reform. Meanwhile, a tuition increase for 1964-1965 raised the annual fee to $1,475.00 

Vasey took a year-long leave of absence in the fall of 1964 to become general manager of the newly established St. Louis Human Development Corporation, coordinating anti-poverty activities. Associate Dean Richard Lawrence, served as acting dean during Vasey’s absence and took charge of curriculum planning. Vasey returned in September 1965.  

In 1967, GWB partnered with Saint Louis University to offer the first course in international social work. That same year, Vasey resigned. With no dean in view, the faculty named Jane Stearns, a GWB alumna and head of the Curriculum Committee, interim dean.  

In 1968, Ralph Garber became the new dean. In 1969, he convened the first annual Faculty-Student Conference on curriculum redesign, attracting 240 participants. That same year, the DSW program was converted into a PhD program. In 1970, WashU’s joint degree program between law and social work began, the first of its kind in the country. In 1971, the faculty also approved joint offerings with the Saint Louis University School of Social Service.  

September 1971, saw the largest first-year class in GWB’s history, with 150 MSW students, 30 of them African American. In other good news, students would enjoy an air-conditioned Brown Lounge and Library, as well as a new videotape center. 

Garber resigned in January 1973. Almost immediately, Chancellor William Danforth named Ronald A. Feldman, an associate professor, as acting dean, a role he served until 1974. During this transitional period, Feldman guided the school to notable achievements, including the addition of new courses in delinquency, health care delivery, and social gerontology. The school also introduced a part-time option and the innovative 3-2 Program, allowing qualified undergraduates to enter the MSW program after their junior year. 

In July 1974, Shanti Kumar Khinduka was appointed as the new dean. Previously, a professor and assistant dean of social work at nearby Saint Louis University, Khinduka received unanimous support from the search committee, faculty, chancellor, and alumni.  

The school celebrated a major milestone in 1975 with the awarding of its 2000th MSW degree. The following academic year saw the introduction of a joint MBA/MSW program, further enhancing the school’s offerings. In 1977, GWB launched the Journal of Social Service Research, its first quarterly publication featuring empirically based research articles in social work.  

By 1980, the school had awarded its 3000th MSW degree, and by 1984 it had conferred its 100th doctorate. The year 1982 was particularly notable, with faculty publishing more books than any other year in the school’s history. In 1983, GWB opened a new social work computing facility, adjacent to the library. 

The 1990s became the “decade of the centers,” as several major research centers with a national or international focus were established. The first, inaugurated in 1990, was the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies. In 1993, the NIMH awarded GWB a $3.75 million, five-year grant to found the nation’s first Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR) – and the first research center funded by the NIMH in a school of social work. A year later, the Center for Social Development, directed by Michael Sherraden, opened in 1994. Thirty years later, Sherraden continues to lead the CSD. 

In 1995, GWB celebrated its 70th anniversary by awarding its 5,000th MSW degree and noting that it had graduates in every state and 42 countries. The school also formulated an ambitious 15-year plan. 

During this time, the school found itself needing more space. A donation from philanthropist Alvin S. Goldfarb, a WashU alumnus, whose late wife Jeanette Rudman Goldfarb received her MSW from GWB in 1936, made possible the much-needed construction of Goldfarb Hall, dedicated in May 1998. It more than doubled GWB’s space and upgraded its computing faculty and technology infrastructure. 

In fall 2003, Kinduka announced his plans to retire on June 30, 2004, after 30 years as dean. His tenure was the longest of any dean then serving at WashU and one of the longest of any social work dean in the nation. He remained on the faculty as the George Warren Brown Distinguished University Professor. Highlights of his term as dean include the construction of Goldfarb Hall and the renovation of Brown Hall; the formation of centers of path-breaking research in areas such as addiction, mental health services, social development, and support of American Indians; and the remarkable growth of the research portfolio of the social work faculty. 

With the retirement of Shanti Kumar Khinduka, the search committee for a new dean faced a daunting challenge: replacing a nearly legendary dean who had served for a record 30 years. Edward F. Lawlor, then in his second term as dean at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, was nationally recognized for his work in health policy, with special expertise in Medicare and health care reform. Despite initially telling members of the search committee there was zero probability he would leave Chicago, their persistence paid off. Lawlor agreed to become the next dean of the George Warren School of Social Work starting on July 1, 2004. That fall, he was also named the inaugural William E. Gordon Professor. 

During this period, the school also underwent a brand refresh, adopting a slightly different identity. After years of being known as GWB, it became the Brown School. According to Lawlor, the change allowed the school to retain its traditional name while building greater recognition externally with individuals and organizations unfamiliar with the GWB acronym.  

In 2006, Enola Proctor became the first social worker appointed to the National Mental Health Advisory Council of the National Institute of Mental Health. In 2007, the Brown School awarded over 6,400 MSW degrees and presented a 10-year strategic plan to WashU’s Board of Trustees. 

In 2009, the Brown School launched its Master of Public Health (MPH) program, initially offering specializations in global health and epidemiology/biostatistics. 

In 2016, Edward F. Lawlor concluded his 12-year tenure as dean, remaining as the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor. Under his leadership, the Brown School experienced significant growth: faculty numbers increased substantially, the research program doubled, and new degree programs were introduced. Notably, Lawlor played a pivotal role in the 2008 establishment of the university’s Institute for Public Health, serving as its founding director for five years. 

In 2014, Brown School student Lilly Leyh and alum Sadie Pierce made history as the first same-sex couple legally married in Missouri. Their ceremony, officiated by Anna Goldfarb Shabsin, a teaching professor at the Brown School, took place under the Brookings Hall archway. 

Hillman Hall was dedicated in 2015, thanks to a generous gift from Tom Hillman and his wife, Jennifer Miller Hillman. The 105,000 square-foot building doubled the school’s space for teaching, research, and community engagement, marking a new era of growth and innovation. That same year also saw the launch of the Master of Social Policy (MSP) dual-degree program, attracting interest from both domestic and international students.

Following Lawlor’s departure, Mary McKernan McKay was appointed dean of the Brown School on July 1, 2016, and later became the inaugural Neidorff Family and Centene Corporation Dean.  

In 2017, the Brown School celebrated its 10,000th graduate and launched a lecture series honoring the legacy of sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson. It remains the only school of social work in the country with a specialization in sexual health and education.  

In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, many faculty members became deeply engaged in addressing the challenges exposed by the virus. Notable efforts included:  

1. Matthew Kreuter, the Kahn Family Professor of Public Health, secured $1.9 million in grants to increase vaccinations among Black residents in St. Louis City and County. 
2. Jason Purnell, then an associate professor, led a response team of over 40 St. Louis area nonprofits, social service agencies, and governments, to provide essential resources and assistance during the pandemic. 
3. The Open Classroom initiative was founded, offering webinars by faculty and community leaders on current social work and public health topics.  
4. Ross Hammond, the Betty Bofinger Brown Distinguished Professor of Public Health, and his team provided guidance to local policymakers on containing the virus’s spread. 

In 2019, McKay introduced the Brown School’s 10-year strategic plan, “Driving Equity 2030,” which was later rebooted in 2021 after a pandemic-related pause. The plan focuses on rigorous science, transformative educational programs, and mutually beneficial partnerships aimed at advancing social, economic, health, environmental and racial justice. It also places a priority on ensuring access and affordability for the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, with the ultimate goal of providing a debt-free education.  

In January 2021, Mary McKay was appointed vice provost of interdisciplinary initiatives in the Office of the Provost, stepping down as dean a year later. During this transition period, Professors Tonya Edmond and Rodrigo Reis served as co-interim deans for one year. 

In 2022, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the university announced plans to establish a School of Public Health, as part of its strategic vision, “Here and Next.” The new school is set to launch in the fall of 2026. 

Dorian Traube: New Leadership and Centennial Celebration (2023-Present) 

On August 1, 2023, Dorian Traube, formerly a professor at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California, became the new dean. Despite the newness of her tenure, Traube is already making strides in implementing the ambitious school plan, Driving Equity 2030.  

In the fall of 2024, the Brown School will kick off a year-long celebration, marking 100 years of pioneering contributions to social work education, public health, and social policy.