Introduction
Social work, as a profession dedicated to enhancing human well-being and addressing social problems, has been shaped by visionaries, advocates, theorists, practitioners, and scholars across centuries. From its roots in charity organization societies and settlement houses to its contemporary manifestation as a globally recognized profession with specialized practices across multiple domains, social work’s evolution reflects the contributions of individuals committed to social justice, human dignity, and systemic change. This article recognizes the 100 most influential people who have defined, developed, and transformed social work through their pioneering efforts, theoretical contributions, practice innovations, research, policy advocacy, and leadership.
Early Pioneers and Founders
1. Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Co-founder of Hull House in Chicago and pioneering settlement house worker whose community-based approach to addressing urban poverty established a foundation for social group work and community practice. The first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (1931), Addams exemplified the integration of direct service, research, and social reform that would become hallmarks of the profession.
2. Mary Richmond (1861-1928)
Pioneer of social casework whose seminal works “Social Diagnosis” (1917) and “What is Social Case Work?” (1922) established systematic methods for assessment and intervention, providing the first coherent methodology for direct practice and laying groundwork for evidence-based approaches.
3. Sophonisba Breckinridge (1866-1948)
Academic and activist who helped establish social work education at the University of Chicago, advocated for women’s suffrage and labor rights, and pioneered the integration of social research with practice and policy advocacy.
4. Julia Lathrop (1858-1932)
Social reformer who became the first woman to head a United States federal bureau as chief of the Children’s Bureau (1912-1921), where she led research on infant mortality and child labor that established the government’s role in child welfare.
5. Edith Abbott (1876-1957)
Founding dean of the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration whose emphasis on social research and policy analysis helped establish social work as an academic discipline requiring rigorous training and scientific methods.
6. Grace Abbott (1878-1939)
Social worker who led the Children’s Bureau (1921-1934) and shaped early child labor laws, maternal and child health programs, and child welfare policies that established precedents for government responsibility for vulnerable populations.
7. Lillian Wald (1867-1940)
Founder of American community nursing and the Henry Street Settlement in New York City, whose work bridged public health and social welfare through initiatives like school nursing programs and advocacy for immigrant communities.
8. Florence Kelley (1859-1932)
Social reformer whose leadership at the National Consumers League advanced labor laws protecting women and children and whose settlement house work and advocacy exemplified the profession’s commitment to social justice.
9. Charles Loring Brace (1826-1890)
Founder of the Children’s Aid Society whose “orphan train” program, despite its problematic aspects by modern standards, represented an early systematic approach to child welfare and fostering.
10. Octavia Hill (1838-1912)
British housing reformer whose model of combining improved housing with holistic support for poor families influenced the development of social housing and community-based social work globally.
11. Samuel Barnett (1844-1913)
Founder of Toynbee Hall, the first settlement house, in London’s East End, establishing a model of university-educated workers living in impoverished communities to provide education and social services that would influence the settlement house movement worldwide.
12. Alice Salomon (1872-1948)
German social work pioneer who founded one of Europe’s first social work schools and whose international advocacy helped establish social work education globally before being forced to flee Nazi Germany.
13. Mary Ellen Richmond (1861-1928)
Charity Organization Society leader whose case-based training for volunteers evolved into professional social work education and whose systematic approach to helping laid foundations for clinical practice.
14. Dorothea Dix (1802-1887)
Early advocate for the humane treatment of people with mental illness whose investigations and advocacy led to the establishment of 32 state psychiatric hospitals, establishing mental health as a public responsibility.
15. Jane Hoey (1892-1968)
First director of the Bureau of Public Assistance who implemented the Social Security Act’s public welfare provisions, establishing the infrastructure for modern social services and income support programs.
16. Charlotte Towle (1896-1966)
Social work educator whose “Common Human Needs” (1945) articulated psychological principles underlying social work practice and whose advocacy for public welfare recipients’ dignity influenced generations of practitioners.
17. Bertha Capen Reynolds (1885-1978)
Radical social worker whose critiques of psychiatric dominance in casework and advocacy for class consciousness anticipated later social justice perspectives in the profession.
18. Gordon Hamilton (1892-1967)
Theorist whose “Theory and Practice of Social Case Work” (1940) advanced a psychosocial approach that balanced psychological understanding with environmental intervention, influencing diagnostic approaches in clinical social work.
19. Virginia Robinson (1883-1977)
Social work educator whose “A Changing Psychology in Social Case Work” (1930) challenged intrapsychic approaches and advocated for relationship-focused practice, influencing the functional school of social work.
20. Harriett Bartlett (1897-1987)
Social work scholar whose analysis of social work as a profession and development of the “common base” concept helped clarify social work’s distinct knowledge base and professional identity.
Theoretical Foundations and Practice Models
21. Helen Harris Perlman (1905-2004)
Developer of the problem-solving model and author of “Social Casework: A Problem-Solving Process” (1957), which provided a systematic approach to direct practice that balanced concrete problem-solving with psychological insight.
22. Florence Hollis (1907-1987)
Clinical theorist whose “Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy” articulated a comprehensive approach integrating psychological understanding with social context, influencing psychosocial approaches to clinical practice.
23. William Gordon (1918-1994)
Theorist who developed the functional approach to social work, emphasizing the client’s capacity for self-determination and growth within the helping relationship and agency function.
24. Ruth Smalley (1903-1979)
Key theorist of the functional approach who emphasized the centrality of process and relationship in facilitating client growth and self-determination.
25. Gisela Konopka (1910-2003)
Pioneer of social group work whose practice and scholarship established theoretical foundations for group interventions with adolescents and vulnerable populations.
26. Grace Coyle (1892-1962)
Social group work theorist whose research and teaching established methodological foundations for working with groups as a distinct social work method.
27. Allen Pincus (1923-2008)
Co-developer, with Anne Minahan, of the influential “social systems model” that conceptualized social work as operating at the interface between people and their environments, providing a unifying framework for diverse practice approaches.
28. Anne Minahan (1929-2016)
Co-developer of the generalist social systems model whose work with Allen Pincus established a conceptual framework that influenced social work education and practice integration.
29. Carol Meyer (1918-2006)
Social work theorist whose ecological perspective and advocacy for a unified conceptual framework helped bridge micro and macro practice divides.
30. Carel Germain (1916-1995)
Theorist whose ecological perspective and life model of social work practice articulated the person-in-environment focus that would become a defining feature of social work’s approach.
31. Alex Gitterman (b. 1938)
Social work educator and theorist who, with Carel Germain, developed the Life Model of social work practice, emphasizing ecological systems and life transitions as organizing frameworks for intervention.
32. William Reid (1928-2003)
Developer of task-centered social work, an empirically-oriented, time-limited approach that emphasized collaborative problem-solving and measurable outcomes, influencing evidence-based practice movements.
33. Jesse Taft (1882-1960)
Key theorist of the functional school of social casework whose relationship-focused approach emphasized client self-determination and time-limited interventions.
34. Lawrence Shulman (b. 1937)
Developer of the interactional model of social work practice whose “Skills of Helping” has trained generations of practitioners in evidence-informed techniques across multiple practice contexts.
35. Robert Constable (b. 1936)
School social work theorist whose ecological framework for school-based practice has influenced how social workers function in educational settings internationally.
36. Albert Roberts (1944-2008)
Developer of crisis intervention models for social work whose research on domestic violence and trauma established evidence-based approaches for acute situations.
37. Edwin Thomas
Pioneer of behavioral approaches in social work whose integration of empirical research methods with direct practice anticipated evidence-based practice movements.
38. Harriett Rinaldo (1906-1981)
Veterans Administration social work leader who established professional standards and competency-based personnel systems that influenced credentialing across the profession.
39. Eileen Gambrill (b. 1934)
Evidence-based practice pioneer whose critical thinking approach to social work decision-making challenged assumptions and promoted research-informed interventions.
40. Scott Briar (1926-1998)
Social work educator whose advocacy for empirically-based practice and research utilization helped establish scientific foundations for the profession.
Social Justice and Macro Practice Leaders
41. Saul Alinsky (1909-1972)
Community organizer whose confrontational approach to building community power through organizations like the Industrial Areas Foundation established methods that would influence community practice in social work.
42. Whitney Young Jr. (1921-1971)
Civil rights leader and social worker who led the National Urban League and whose “Domestic Marshall Plan” advocated for comprehensive approaches to addressing racial inequality, exemplifying social work’s commitment to social justice.
43. Dorothy Height (1912-2010)
Civil rights and women’s rights leader whose leadership of the National Council of Negro Women and involvement in major civil rights actions demonstrated the integration of social work values with social activism.
44. Harry Hopkins (1890-1946)
Social worker who became a key architect of New Deal programs as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s closest advisor, translating social work values into national policy during the Great Depression.
45. Frances Perkins (1880-1965)
First female U.S. Cabinet member who served as Secretary of Labor (1933-1945) and whose social work background informed her pivotal role in creating Social Security, unemployment insurance, and labor protections.
46. Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973)
First woman elected to Congress, whose social work background informed her pioneering advocacy for women’s suffrage, peace, and social welfare.
47. Wilbur Cohen (1913-1987)
Social worker and policy expert known as “the man who built Medicare” whose government service spanning multiple administrations established core social insurance programs in the United States.
48. Richard Cloward (1926-2001)
Social work scholar and activist whose “Regulating the Poor” with Frances Fox Piven analyzed welfare as social control and whose community organizing theory influenced the National Welfare Rights Organization and voter registration movements.
49. Frances Fox Piven (b. 1932)
Social welfare scholar and activist whose analyses of power and social movements have informed community organizing and policy advocacy in social work for decades.
50. Barbara Mikulski (b. 1936)
Social worker who became the longest-serving woman in U.S. Congressional history and whose legislative career championed healthcare, women’s rights, and social services.
51. Ron Dellums (1935-2018)
Social worker who served in Congress (1971-1998) and as Mayor of Oakland, whose progressive advocacy for peace, social justice, and healthcare reflected social work values in political leadership.
52. Jack Rothman (b. 1925)
Community organization theorist whose three models of community practice—locality development, social planning, and social action—provided a framework for macro social work interventions.
53. Murray Ross (1907-1997)
Community organization theorist whose principles of community organization established methodological foundations for macro practice.
54. Harry Specht (1930-1995)
Social work educator whose critique of psychotherapeutic dominance in “Unfaithful Angels” (with Mark Courtney) challenged the profession to recommit to its social justice mission and community practice roots.
55. Marie Weil
Community practice scholar whose framework for macro practice has defined community, organizational, and policy interventions for generations of social workers.
56. Terry Mizrahi (b. 1947)
Community organizer, health care advocate, and educator whose leadership in the National Association of Social Workers and development of coalition-building models has advanced macro practice.
57. Mimi Abramovitz (b. 1941)
Social welfare policy scholar whose feminist analyses of welfare state policies have illuminated the gendered nature of social provision and informed advocacy for women’s economic rights.
58. Lorraine Gutiérrez (b. 1956)
Social work scholar whose work on empowerment practice with women of color and multicultural organizational development has advanced culturally responsive approaches to individual and community empowerment.
59. Nancy A. Humphreys (b. 1936)
Social work educator whose establishment of the Institute for Political Social Work and advocacy for political engagement has strengthened the profession’s policy practice.
60. Stephen Burghardt (b. 1947)
Community organizer and educator whose work bridging clinical and macro practice has helped integrate social justice perspectives across practice methods.
Research and Evidence-Based Practice Pioneers
61. Edward Mullen (b. 1943)
Social work researcher whose leadership in evidence-based practice movements and development of outcome measurement systems has advanced research-informed approaches across the profession.
62. Enola Proctor (b. 1948)
Implementation science pioneer whose research on translating evidence into real-world settings has addressed the gap between research and practice in social work.
63. Ann Hartman (1923-2018)
Social work scholar whose development of qualitative assessment tools like genograms and ecomaps provided practice-friendly methods for systemic assessment and intervention planning.
64. Joel Fischer (b. 1937)
Social work researcher whose critical analyses of effectiveness studies challenged the profession to develop stronger empirical foundations for practice.
65. Bruce Thyer (b. 1953)
Prolific social work researcher whose advocacy for scientific methods and evidence-based practice has influenced research standards across the profession.
66. Denise Burnette
Gerontological social work researcher whose international studies on aging and evidence-based interventions for older adults have advanced specialized knowledge for this population.
67. Mark Fraser (b. 1950)
Social work researcher whose development of risk and resilience models and intervention research methods has established frameworks for preventive approaches with vulnerable populations.
68. Matthew Howard (1956-2018)
Social work researcher whose studies on substance use interventions established evidence-based approaches for addressing addiction in diverse populations.
69. James Midgley (b. 1945)
International social welfare scholar whose comparative research has illuminated diverse models of social development and influenced global social work practice.
70. Yeheskel Hasenfeld (b. 1938)
Organizational theorist whose analyses of human service organizations as “people-processing” institutions has provided critical frameworks for understanding social service delivery systems.
Contemporary Thought Leaders and Specialized Practice Pioneers
71. Judith Lee (b. 1939)
Social work educator whose empowerment approach to practice with women and development of progressive practice models has influenced contemporary direct practice frameworks.
72. Elaine Congress (b. 1946)
Ethics specialist whose ETHIC model for decision-making has provided practitioners with practical frameworks for navigating complex ethical dilemmas.
73. Frederic Reamer (b. 1953)
Foremost social work ethics scholar whose prolific writing on ethical standards and risk management has shaped professional ethics education and regulatory frameworks.
74. Nancy Boyd-Franklin (b. 1950)
Family therapy pioneer whose culturally-informed approaches to working with Black families have advanced culturally competent family intervention models.
75. Martha Ozawa (1929-2017)
Social policy scholar whose economic analyses of welfare programs and advocacy for children’s allowances influenced income support policy discussions nationally.
76. Dennis Saleebey (1936-2014)
Strengths perspective advocate whose challenge to deficit-oriented approaches revolutionized how social workers conceptualize and engage with client systems.
77. Steven Schinke (1945-2019)
Prevention scientist whose development of culturally grounded interventions for youth substance abuse established evidence-based approaches for behavioral health prevention.
78. Katherine van Wormer (b. 1943)
Social work educator whose restorative justice approaches and critical perspectives on addiction treatment have influenced forensic social work and substance abuse practice.
79. Bruce Jansson (b. 1945)
Policy practice scholar whose policy advocacy frameworks and social welfare policy analyses have trained generations of social workers in effective policy engagement.
80. Elizabeth Clark (b. 1952)
NASW Executive Director (2001-2013) whose leadership advanced the profession’s public image, political engagement, and practice standards during a period of significant healthcare transformation.
81. Darrell Wheeler
HIV/AIDS researcher and academic leader whose work on health disparities in Black communities has advanced culturally-grounded public health approaches.
82. King Davis (b. 1943)
Mental health policy expert whose research on culturally competent mental health services for African Americans has influenced service delivery systems nationally.
83. Carmen Ortiz Hendricks (1947-2016)
Social work educator whose leadership in advancing culturally responsive education and practice has influenced how the profession prepares practitioners to work with diverse populations.
84. Iris Carlton-LaNey (b. 1949)
Social welfare historian whose research on African American social welfare pioneers has recovered overlooked contributions and informed contemporary culturally grounded practice.
85. Darlyne Bailey (b. 1953)
Academic leader whose collaborative leadership models and advancement of interprofessional education has influenced how social work engages with allied professions.
86. Michael Sherraden (b. 1948)
Social policy innovator whose asset-building approach and development of Individual Development Accounts created new paradigms for anti-poverty intervention focused on capability development.
87. Mark Courtney (b. 1961)
Child welfare researcher whose longitudinal studies of foster youth outcomes have informed policy reforms and practice improvements for youth transitioning from care.
88. John Tropman (b. 1941)
Organizational and community practice scholar whose research on effective committees and decision-making processes has influenced how social work administrators lead organizations.
89. Ram A. Cnaan (b. 1953)
Social work researcher whose pioneering studies on the economic value of volunteer work and the role of religious congregations in service provision have illuminated the faith-based sector’s contributions.
90. Felton Earls (b. 1942)
Child psychiatrist and researcher whose studies on community social cohesion and violence prevention established the importance of collective efficacy for community well-being.
Global Influences and Contemporary Leaders
91. Jim Ife (b. 1950)
Australian social work scholar whose human rights framework for social work practice has influenced the profession’s global ethical standards and approaches to international development.
92. Lena Dominelli (b. 1945)
British social work scholar whose feminist and anti-oppressive practice frameworks have challenged conventional approaches and centered social justice in international social work discourse.
93. Vishanthie Sewpaul (b. 1958)
South African social work educator whose leadership in the International Association of Schools of Social Work and critique of global standards has centered decolonial perspectives in international social work.
94. Silvia Staub-Bernasconi (b. 1936)
Swiss social work theorist whose human rights approach and “third mandate” concept have provided ethical frameworks for navigating tensions between client advocacy and agency constraints.
95. Jan Fook (b. 1952)
Critical reflection theorist whose frameworks for examining power and assumptions in practice have influenced reflective practice approaches internationally.
96. Luis Zayas (b. 1954)
Mental health researcher whose studies on Latina youth suicide attempts and immigrant family separations have informed culturally responsive interventions and immigration policy advocacy.
97. Mo Yee Lee
Social work scholar whose integrative, strength-based family therapy approaches have bridged Eastern philosophical traditions with Western practice models.
98. Cynthia Franklin (b. 1954)
Solution-focused therapy researcher whose evidence-based adaptations for school settings have established effective brief intervention models for school social workers.
99. Michael Yellow Bird (b. 1953)
Indigenous scholar whose work on decolonizing social work and neurodecolonization has challenged Western paradigms and centered Indigenous knowledge in healing practices.
100. Tricia Bent-Goodley (b. 1969)
Social work scholar whose research on domestic violence in Black communities and culturally responsive practice has advanced trauma-informed approaches that center cultural context and strengths.
Conclusion
The 100 individuals highlighted in this article represent diverse contributions to social work’s development as a profession committed to enhancing human well-being, advancing social justice, and addressing complex social problems. From early pioneers who established the profession’s foundations to contemporary leaders advancing specialized knowledge and innovative approaches, these influential figures reflect social work’s evolution and its distinctive integration of direct practice, community organization, policy advocacy, and social research. Their collective legacy embodies social work’s dual focus on helping individuals while addressing broader social conditions—a perspective that continues to define the profession as it responds to emerging challenges and opportunities in an increasingly complex global context.
