Scott Briar papers, 1957-1981

Joseph Scott Briar was born on July 27, 1926, and died on June 17, 1998. He received his bachelor's degree from Washburn University in 1950, his master's degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis in 1952, and his doctorate in social welfare from Columbia University in 1961. Between his master's and doctoral degrees, he worked as a psychiatric social worker and supervisor for the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas. He was a professor in the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1959 to 1971. At Berkeley his research interests included work with youth and families.

Briar became professor and dean of the University of Washington School of Social Work in 1971. In 1975, the School of Social Work began a Ph.D. program in social welfare. This program had been in preparation for nearly a decade, and Briar played an important part in the final steps of its creation. He served as dean until 1988 and taught until 1990.

In addition to teaching and research, Briar was involved in a number of professional organizations. He was the book review editor of Social Work, the journal of the National Association of Social Workers, from 1971 to 1972 and editor-in-chief from 1972 to 1976. He spoke at several events for the Council on Social Work Education, and his paper from the 1973 annual meeting, "Effective Social Work in Direct Practice: Implications for Education," (box 2, folders 7 to 11) generated great interest. In the 1980s, he led the American Association of Schools of Social Work, which is also sometimes known as the Conference of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work, and the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work. In addition, he was a consultant to the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1966 to 1969.