A TRADITION OF CHANGE

A lot of thought goes into every issue of the Newsletter and this one has taken just a little more. It has certainly required a lot of imagination and hard work and for this we are truly grateful to the editor, Shelly Butler, who has exceeded even her own high standards. The Newsletter Advisory Committee takes this opportunity to thank Shelly publicly for all she does to make the Newsletter such a fine publication--a credit to the Alumni Association and to the School. We are also truly indebted to La ura Guiterman, our Association historian and archivist, for her extraordinary article on the history of the Association which leads this souvenir Centennial issue.

We also take this opportunity to add our congratulations to the School in reaching this important milestone and for what it has contributed to the development of professional social work. We do so with a certain humility, for in congratulating the Sch ool we are also, in a certain way, congratulating ourselves--the alumni. Excuse us for doing so, but we take pride in what the School has accomplished and stands for, and take pride in being part of the history and the traditions of Columbia University.

Tradition is not a word that stands up well in social work circles. You certainly do not hear the word used very often. We are probably so caught up in being the profession promoting social change, that we do not take the time to reflect on the value of our own traditions.

Possibly our most important tradition is that we are always changing. We are an interesting group with many diverse philosophies and many different ways of trying to get the job done. Regardless of the changes in policy and practice, it is our missio n to represent the interests of the individuals and groups that we work with as well as the interests of the society in which we all live.

The School has come from a six-week course in 1898 concerned with "philanthropy" to a two-year post-graduate curriculum with over 800 students in concentrations and an exceptional doctoral program. It was associated with Columbia University from its inception, and along the way that six-week course gained its academic credentials, becoming a member of the University Corporation in 1959. The first School of Social Work graduate to receive the doctorate in 1952 (and the first in New York State to do s o), Alfred J. Kahn, one of the social work profession's most respected scholars, is a keynote speaker at the Centennial Conference. Other distinguished graduates and faculty of the School will participate, as well.

Elsewhere in this Newsletter, you can read the reminiscences of alumni who have great stories and fond memories of their days at the School. They are not only fun to read, but also very touching. Those of us that have had the honor to attend the 25th and 50th reunion dinners in the past have been fascinated to hear the depth of the feeling that so many graduates have for the School and for that one particular teacher that they remember with fondness and respect. You will read of those graduates that t he Alumni Association has inducted as "pioneers" and current practitioners in establishing its Hall of Fame. What a remarkable group they are. Many you have heard of, no doubt, but there will be one or two that may have escaped your attention. In this inaugural year of the Hall of Fame, the Committee had the unenviable task of making a small number of selections from an enormous number of possibilities. They have left subsequent committees plenty of choices for the years ahead.

These days when we hear so much of the systems in our society... "the social welfare system," "the human services system," "the educational system"...and the need for drastic reform, it is worth remembering that the quality of any "system" is only as g ood as the caliber of the people who work within it. The Columbia University School of Social Work has been educating students to work within those "systems" out there for 100 years...and doing it pretty well too! So congratulations to the School and to us-the graduates.