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NASW Pioneers Biography Index


The National Association of Social Workers Foundation is pleased to present the NASW Social Work Pioneers®. NASW Pioneers are social workers who have explored new territories and built outposts for human services on many frontiers. Some are well known, while others are less famous outside their immediate colleagues, and the region where they live and work. But each one has made an important contribution to the social work profession, and to social policies through service, teaching, writing, research, program development, administration, or legislation.

The NASW Pioneers have paved the way for thousands of other social workers to contribute to the betterment of the human condition; and they are are role models for future generations of social workers. The NASW Foundation has made every effort to provide accurate Pioneer biographies.  Please contact us at naswfoundation@socialworkers.org to provide missing information, or to correct inaccurate information. It is very important to us to correctly tell these important stories and preserve our history.  

Please note, an asterisk attached to a name reflects Pioneers who have passed away. All NASW Social Work Pioneers® Bios are Copyright © 2021 National Association of Social Workers Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

    
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Harriet Rinaldo Photo
Harriet Rinaldo* (1906-1981)

Harriett Rinaldo's work with the Veteran's Administration (VA) Social Work Service produced personnel standards, rating procedures, and recruitment procedures that became a model for the Federal Government and other social work agencies. She was the first to identify "clinical social work" as a specialty standard within personnel specifications.

Harriett was born in Sioux City, Iowa. She lived in Wheaton, Illinois until she entered Smith College in 1923 and graduated with honors in 1927. She continued at Smith and received her Master's Degree in social work. When she graduated from Smith her parents gave her a trip to Europe as a graduation present. This sparked a lifelong interest in travel. By the time that she died, she had visited all of the states in the United States and more than 50 foreign countries. After she received her social work degree she went to work for the Children's Aid Society in Philadelphia later transferring to the county welfare agency in the same city. In 1943 she moved to New York with the Social Security Agency and in 1946 to the Veterans Administration in Washington, D.C. where she remained until her retirement in 1972.

At the Veterans Administration Harriet was responsible for recruiting hundreds of qualified social workers to fill the manpower requirements of the Post World War II VA Medical Services expansion. In this connection she established job definitions and standards that influenced Civil Service requirements for other federal agencies and for state and local health care programs. She served on various committees at the National Association of Social Workers and was a key member of the Committee on the Study of Competence from 1963 to 1970 and was on the ACSW Board that developed the first examinations for the ACSW. She also was active in the American Public Welfare Association and the Council on Social Work Education.

Case Western Reserve University students honor 10 NASW Social Work Pioneers®




Newly Inducted NASW Social Work Pioneer Hortense McClinton 2015

Nominate A New NASW Pioneer

Please note, Pioneer nominations made between today’s date through March 31, 2023, will not be reviewed until spring 2023.

Completed NASW Pioneer nominations can be submitted throughout the year and are reviewed at the June Pioneer Steering Committee Meeting. To be considered at the June meeting, submit your nomination package by March 31. To learn more, visit our Pioneer nomination guidelines.


New Pioneers 

Congratulations newly elected Pioneers!  Pioneers will be inducted at the 2024  Annual Program and Luncheon. Full biographies and event details coming soon.


2024