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Herman D. Stein, holder of lifetime achievement awards from the
National Association of Social Workers, the Council on Social
Work Education and the International Association of Schools of
Social Work, as well as the University Medal from CWRU, has a
new laurel to wear: He is one of only two Americans featured in
a new book of interviews with international social work notables.
The book Faithful Angels: Portraits of International Social
Work Notables, (NASW Press, 2002) consists of extensive interviews
with 15 retired social workers from around the globe whose activities
and research have helped shape the profession. The late James
O. Billups, former president of the Inter-University Consortium
for International Social Development, conducted and edited the
interviews.
Subjects for the interviews were chosen by a panel of six social
workers with expertise in international social work. To be included
in the book, an individual had to have made exceptional contributions
to social welfare inside and outside their own country in the
second half of the 20th century and be retired from the profession.
Fifteen individuals are profiled in the book.
"I was honored to be included among such a distinguished group
of social workers," said Stein, now an emeritus dean and faculty
member of CWRU's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. "I've
felt privileged to be a part of this profession through my entire
career."
Another individual profiled in the book, Meher C. Nanavatty,
was a 1950 graduate of what was then the School of Applied Social
Sciences. Nanavatty, who died in August in India, was a prominent
Indian social welfare expert and active in the International Council
on Social Welfare.
Stein had no inkling that he was being considered for inclusion
in the book until Billups called to ask if he could interview
Stein.
"It was a bolt out of the blue," he said.
Stein joined CWRU in 1964 as dean of the School of Applied Social
Sciences. He also served as provost of the University on two occasions.
In addition, he holds the emeritus titles of University Professor
and the John Reynolds Harkness Professor of Social Administration.
In his interview, Stein traces his life as the youngest son of
lower middle class immigrants in the Bronx; his efforts to join
the army during World War II despite a hip injury; and his education
at the College of the City University of New York and Columbia
University, where he was appointed to the faculty in 1945.
Two years later Stein joined the Paris headquarters of the American
Joint Distribution Committee as director of its Welfare Department.
In that position he provided planning and consulting on services
for Holocaust survivors and other displaced persons. He also developed
relief programs for the Jewish communities in Tunisia and Morocco.
Stein returned to the Columbia faculty in 1950 where he taught
courses in the application of social and behavioral sciences in
social work practice. He also instituted the first seminars taught
anywhere in international social welfare and consulted for governmental,
nonprofit and business organizations, as well as the U.N. Division
of Social Development.
In 1962 Stein went to Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania) at the
request of the United Nation's Children's Educational Fund's (UNICEF)
to serve as an adviser to that country's planning commission.
That began a 25-year association with UNICEF during which he held
the title of senior adviser to two UNICEF executive directors
and directed senior interregional staff seminars.
"It's been an exciting career," Stein said. "I've met many extraordinary
people and witnessed tremendous courage under incredibly difficult
circumstances. There's never been a dull moment."
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