Loula Dunn Papers
Summary Information
Loula Dunn
Papers
1937-1965
Dunn,
Loula
10 linear
inches
Language: English
sw0048
The collection contains
Loula Dunn's correspondence and speeches as Alabama commissioner of public
welfare and as president and director of the American Public Welfare
Association.
University of
Minnesota Libraries. Social Welfare History
Archives
Access and Use
The papers were given to the Social Welfare History Archives by Loula
Dunn via the American Public Welfare Association in 1972, 1974, and 1976.
Open for use in Social Welfare History Archives reading room.
Please contact the Archivist for copyright information.
Biographical Note
Lula Dunn was an influential leader in the American public welfare
field from the late 1930s until her retirement in 1964. She was born in Grove
Hill, Alabama, circa 1896, and educated at Alabama Polytechnic Institute and
the University of North Carolina. She received honorary degrees from Alabama
College and from Western College in Ohio. Dunn Began her career as a social
case worker and later directed the Alabama Relief Administration and the
Alabama Works Progress Administration. From 1937 to 1949, she served as
commissioner of the Alabama State Department of Public Welfare.
Her contributions to social work at the national level came through
the American Public Welfare Association (APWA). First elected to its board of
directors in 1938, she served as the Association's vice-president (1940-1942)
and president (1944-1946). In 1949 she resigned her Alabama position to become
the full-time director of APWA, a position she held until her retirement in
1964. She was active in building a stronger base of support for the
organization nationwide. She traveled extensively, delivered numerous speeches,
and served on various advisory committees for the Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare; the Social Security Administration; and other public
and private organizations. Lula Dunn died in 1977 in Washington, D.C.
Collection Scope and Content Note
This Loula Dunn papers consist chiefly of Loula Dunn's correspondence
and speeches reflecting her activities as Alabama commissioner of Public
Welfare (1937-1949) and as president (1944-1946) and director (1949-1964) of
the American Public Welfare Association (APWA). The bulk of the material
pertains to Dunn's tenure at APWA. Most of the correspondence is routine. Much
of it is congratulatory letters received upon her appointment, tenth
anniversary, and resignation as director of APWA.
The speeches document her philosophy on social work. Dunn addresses
topics such as the need for a clearer sense of public commitment to public
welfare, better intergovernmental relations, and the need for improved public
welfare services. Under Dunn's direction, the APWA actively advocated for more
complete welfare services, conveying its opinions and information to the
public, lawmakers, and APWA members. For the most part, the attitudes and goals
expressed in her speeches reflect the position of the APWA at the time.
The papers also contain clippings, correspondence, reports, and
publications from some of Dunn's committee and consulting activities. Documents
relating to the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (1942), War Department
Representation to Great Britain (1945), participation on the HEW report to
extend Social Security Insurance (1953), the HEW Ad Hoc Committee on Public
Welfare (1961), the Wyman Report to the Secretary of HEW (1961), and the HEW
Advisory Council on Social Security (1963-1965) are all included in her
papers.
Arrangement of the collection is essentially chronological. It has
been divided into her Alabama period (including the APWA presidency) and her
tenure as director of APWA. In each case, records pertaining to her chief
position of employment precede those of other professional activities.
Related Material
Unpublished inventory available. Please contact Archives for more
information.
Subject Terms
- This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog
of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about
related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these
headings.
- Dunn,
Loula
- Dunn,
Loula--Archives
- Alabama
Commissioner of Public Welfare (Dunn : 1937-1949)--Speeches
- American
Public Welfare Association--History--Sources
Detailed Description of Papers
| Location |
Title |
| |
Biographical |
|
Box 1 |
Biographical Data 1940-1964 Box 1, Folder 1
|
| |
Alabama Period 1937-1946 |
|
Box 1 |
Clippings, Correspondence, Publications as Alabama
Commissioner of Public Welfare 1937-1949 Box 1, Folder 2
|
| |
Speeches as Alabama Commissioner of Public
Welfare 1937-1949 Box 1, Folder 3-4
|
| |
APWA Presidency 1944-1946 Box 1, Folder 5
|
| |
War Department Representative to Great
Britain 1944-1945 Box 1, Folder 6
|
| |
Women's Auxiliary Army Corps 1942 Box 1, Folder 7
|
| |
APWA Director 1949-1965 |
|
Box 1 |
Clippings and Correspondence 1949 Box 1, Folder 8
|
| |
Correspondence and Publications 1949-1959 Box 1, Folder 9
|
| |
Speeches (includes a list of speeches) 1950-1953 Box 1, Folder 10
Note Includes a list of speeches.
|
| |
Statements to APWA 1951-1952 Box 1, Folder 11
|
| |
Speeches 1954-1960 Box 1, Folder 11
|
| |
Drafts and Final Copy of HEW Report on Extension of
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance 1953 Box 1, Folder 12-15
|
| |
HEW Ad Hoc Committee on Public Welfare 1961 Box 1, Folder 16
|
| |
Wyman Report to Secretary of HEW 1961 Box 1, Folder 17
|
| |
Advisory Council on Social Security 1963-1965 Box 1, Folder 18
|
|
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