UA School of Social Work Celebrated 40th Anniversary

On May 18, 2007, The University of Alabama School of Social Work invited alumni, friends and all social workers in the State of Alabama to Tuscaloosa to celebrate 40 years of social work education.  The University of Alabama School of Social Work was started in 1965 by an act of the State Legislature to address the need for educated and trained social workers in the State of Alabama.  Dr. Howard Gundy was the first dean of the School and the first MSW students started in1967.  The first graduating class was in 1969.  Since then, more then 4,000 students have graduated from the University of Alabama School of Social Work.  The University of Alabama School of Social Work remains the only comprehensive institution in the state, offering Bachelor’s of Social Work (BSW), Master’s of Social Work (MSW) and Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.  Dr. James. P. “Ike” Adams, Jr. is the current dean of the School of Social Work. 

Activities took place all day at Little Hall, the home of the School of Social Work, which included an open house, lunch, continuing education opportunities and tours of campus.  In the evening, the School’s 40th Anniversary Celebration dinner was held in conjunction with the 2007 Alabama Social Work Hall of Fame.  This year’s honoree was Ms. Doris Bender.  Ms. Bender was director of Mobile County’s Department of Pensions and Security (now the Department of Human Resources) where she served for 33 years.  She developed a prototype for a statewide program, which is the cornerstone of Alabama’s efforts to combat abuse and neglect of elderly disabled adults.  Mr. Harlan Meredith was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.  Mr. Meredith worked to establish The University of Alabama School of Social Work.  He played a key role in the efforts to bring quality graduate education in social work to the State of Alabama.  Mr. Stephen Black was the Keynote Speaker for the celebration dinner.  Mr. Black is the director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at The University of Alabama.  Formerly a candidate for State Treasurer and a lawyer with Maynard, Cooper and Gale, Mr. Black is also the executive director of Impact Alabama, a nonprofit organization that implements substantive service learning projects for college students across the state of Alabama.