1920: The Establishment of a Professional Program

The Economics Department recruited Professor Helen I. Clarke in 1920 with the explicit aim of developing a professional program in social work.  During 1926 – 1945, she taught all social work courses and field training.

She spent 45 years at Wisconsin, during which she helped social work become a professional, publicly-accepted and recognized field in the development of public services as well as private agencies engaged in welfare work.