Ethel Collins Berry

PRESIDENT: Ethel Berry

President: Ethel Berry

Berry was drawn to social work through early volunteer work in West Virginia's mining towns, in Detroit's welfare department at the height of the Great Depression, and a Bryn Mawr's labor education school.

She worked in Cleveland for four years in the Industrial (workers) Department of the YMCA.

In 1941, Berry went to Soho Community House in Pittsburgh, where she developed the program in Terrace Village whereby Soho was the first private agency in the United States to work in public housing.This was the beginning of a lifelong association with the settlement and neighborhood center movement, and her concern with race relations.She was a field instructor for the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work and director of Soho from 1947 to 1951.

After a year in Germany as consultant to youth leadership training schools, under a Rockefeller Foundation grant, Berry joined the staff of the National Federation of Settlements in 1952, and was the executive from 1959 to 1971.She was elected president of the National Conference of Social Welfare in 1971, and became its executive in 1972, retiring in 1979.

Berry's international interests were expressed as president of the International Federation of Settlements from 1964 to 1972, and through the U.S. Committee of the International Conference on Social Welfare.She was a recipient of the Grace Coyle international award from Case Western Reserve's School of Applied Social Sciences.Other honors include the Jane Addams Award from the National Federation of Settlements, distinguished alumnae awards from Albion and Case Reserve, and a special citation from the National Conference.

She was also a member of the Cosmopolitan Club of New York.She wrote numerous articles and papers, and was active in NASW and the Association for the Advancement of Social Work.

Berry traveled extensively throughout the world.Her positions also required travel throughout the United States.

While in Conway, she was active with the Long Range Advisory Planning Committee and the Historical Society.She was a volunteer/curator for the historical museum.

She leaves no immediate survivors.