 Ruth H. Young, former Dean of SSW
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Dr. Ruth H. Young, a former Dean of University of Maryland School of Social Work passed away on February 15, 2009. She was 86 years old. Although none of her family members are still alive, she has left behind a number of close friends and colleagues.
Ruth Young joined the School of Social Work in 1964 as an Assistant Professor, involved in programs such as Social Policy and a State-wide Staff Development Training Project. Over the next 12 years she steadily rose up the ranks, becoming the Associate Dean in 1966 and then Dean of the School of Social Work in 1977. She held this position for over a decade.
During Young's stay at UMB, she actively participated in various research projects. She focused on developing a better database for services to children in Baltimore, which included collection and analysis of data on child abuse, assessment of adoption rates of African-American children etc. She also served on and chaired numerous masters and doctoral dissertation committees. Young finished her undergraduate education from Wellesley College. In 1949, she earned a Master's degree in Social Work from Catholic University of America. Six years later, she was awarded a doctorate degree in Social Work from the same university.
Notably, Dr. Ruth Young was a member of many organizations during her professional career. She was the chairman of the Governor's Committee on Social Welfare Manpower and also the Child Abuse Committee, to name a few. In addition, she also served on the Mayor's Task Force on Child Abuse from 1977-1981. The Ruth H Young Center at the School of Social Work is named after her.
