Frances Feldman

Presenter(s)

Courtney Olafsen, Seani Silva, Kimberly Scanlon, Laura Pereira

Abstract or Description

Frances Feldman was a social worker who was born in Philadelphia on December 3, 1912, to parents that were Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. Feldman got her masters degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California in 1940. She became a professor at that same university and remained there until her death in 2008, more than 45 years. She made significant contributions to the new social work curriculum in areas of social welfare history, policy, and administration. She wrote 10 books and multiple journal articles on the social and psychological meanings of work and life. Francis Feldman almost single handedly was responsible for the discovery and preservation of social welfare history in Southern California. Her research on cancer provided the first systematic evidence that employers and co-workers often imposed harsh, even illegal conditions on cancer survivors. Her study was funded by the American Cancer Society. 

Mentor

Jonghyun Lee