Brown School Timeline Washington University’s Training Course for Social Workers begins1925 Betty Bofinger Brown endows the Department of Social Work. The Department hires its first director of field work; specialization include general casework and hospital social work.1928 Groundbreaking takes place for George Warren Brown Memorial Hall1935 Department offers MSW degree1937 Benjamin Youngdahl joins faculty1939 George Warren Brown School of Social Work launches on July 1; accredited to award BS in Public Administration and the MSW1945 GWB becomes first school at Washington University to admit black students1947 GWB establishes professional doctoral program; pre-professional courses are abolished; GWB offers only graduate-level course work1952 Youngdahl Delivers “What We Believe: at a general Session at the National Conference of Social Work help in Chicago1952 Benjamin Youngdhal steps down; Wayne Vasey becomes dean1962 GWB offers certificate program in community development for residents of underserved communities1964 Dean Vasey leaves to organize the St. Louis anti-poverty program as the first general manager of the St. Louis Human Development Corporation; Richard Lawrence becomes acting dean1964 GWB partner with Saint Louis University to offer first course in international social work1967 Vasey resigns; Jane Stearns, a GWB alumna, becomes interim dean1967 Ralph Garber becomes dean; push for more faculty research begins1968 DSW program converts to PhD program1968 Ralph Garber resigns; Ronald A. Feldman named interim dean1973 Shanti K. Khinduka becomes dean1974 GWB launches Journal of Social Service Research, one of the early social work research journals1977 GWB gains an 18-member National Council1987 GWB inaugurates its first research center: the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies1990 GWB opens the Center for Mental Health Services Research1993 GWB opens its Center for Social Development1994 GWB opens the Prevention Research Center1994 GWB opens the Health Communication Research Laboratory1996 Dean Khinduka receives the President’s Award for Excellence in Social Work Education from NASW1996 Alvin Goldfarb Hall is dedicated1998 GWB faculty votes to adopt evidence-based practices as the central organizing theme for MSW curriculum2000 GWB opens the Center for Public Health Systems Science2001 Edward F. Lawlor becomes dean; appointed inaugural William E. Gordon Professor2004 Dean Shanti Khinduka retires after 30 years of service; receives the Family Support Network Guardian Angel award; receives the President’s Award from GWB2004 GWB becomes the nation’s first social work school to receive NIMH funding as an Advanced Center for Interventions and Services Research2004 Dean Lawlor and National Council Chair B.A. Bridgewater present 10-year strategic plan to Washington University’s Board of Trustees2007 Brown School opens the Social System Design Lab2009 Brown School opens the Center for Violence and Injury Prevention2009 Brown School opens the Center for Diabetes Translation Research2011 Brown School opens the International Center for Child Health and Development2013 Brown School opens the Next Age Institute2013 Brown School opens the Evaluation Center2015 Hillman Hall is dedicated2015 Brown School opens the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research2015 Brown School opens SMART Africa2016 Mary McKay becomes dean; appointed Neidorff Family and Centene Corporation Dean2016 Brown School opens the Clark-Fox Policy Institute2017 Brown School opens the E3 Nutrition Lab2017 Brown School opens the Center for Innovation in Child Maltreatment Policy, Research and Training2018 Brown School strategic plan, Driving Equity 2030 is launched2019 Brown School opens The Initiative on Social Work & Forced Migration2020 Brown School opens the Center for Human Service Leadership2020 Tonya Edmond and Rodrigo Siqueira Reis become Co-Deans of the Brown School2021 Brown School opens the Sexuality, Health and Gender Center2022 Dorian Traube becomes dean of the Brown School2023 Brown School opens the IMPACT Global Center2024 Brown School opens the Center for Education Research, Practice, and Policy Partnerships2024 Brown School Centennial celebration2025 If you have any contributions to make to the Brown School Centennial you’d like to share, we welcome your input. Please reach out to Brown Communications with your suggestions or items of historical interest. We’re particularly interested in photographs, documents, or memorabilia that can help enrich our school’s historical narrative. Your contributions will play a valuable role in preserving and celebrating our school’s legacy as we mark this significant milestone. To submit your ideas or artifacts, please contact browncommunications@wustl.edu.