New York School of Applied Philanthropy

The New York School of Applied Philanthropy, originally opened as a six-week summer program in New York City in 1898, was the first higher education program to train people who wanted to work in the field of charity, including child development and youth work, in the United States. Becoming a part of Columbia University in 1904, it was the first school of social work in the United States. The school was inaugurated by Mary Richmond, a prominent early 20th century child rights activist. Alice Paul, one of the foremost advocates for woman at the end of the Progressive Era, was one of the first graduates of the school. The school changed name in 1917 to the New York School of Social Work.