Preserving social welfare heritage and advancing social equity through the records of California’s people, history, and communities.
California Social Welfare Archives
Our mission is to collect and preserve the historical documents of California’s social welfare institutions and celebrate influential social workers and other human service professionals throughout California.
Renowned clinical social worker, theorist, educator and author, Barbara Bryant Solomon. Click on the image to watch her interview.
CSWA’s 1991 Mission Statement. In Feldman, F.L. (1991) Portrait of a Gentle Man: George D. Nickel. California Social Welfare Archives.
From a social work recruitment flyer (Circa 1955). CSWA archive collection #0454
An unnamed social worker employed by All Nations Foundation in 1965. CSWA collection #0421. Click on the image to see more images from this collection.
Assorted glass plate images from the Mary Liddecoat / Midnight Mission Collection (Circa 1930s) CSWA 0413, Box 1. Click on the photo to see more photos from this collection.
Written on the back of this photo, "Boys in the Harmonica Band. All Nations Boys Club, September 14, 1929." In All Nations Foundation (Los Angeles) Collection, CSWA collection #0421.
This is a cover of a proposal for NIMH funding for culturally and linguiestically congruent mental health care in East Los Angeles by UCLA & USC SW alumni, Trabajadores de la Raza in 1969. To learn more about this astounding mental health program that was established due to this proposal click the image. Valle, R. et al (1971 29 August) Los Barrios de EastLos, East LA Comprehensive Mental Health Planning Perspective. CSWA collection #0603, Box3, Folder,7
L.A. Community Chest, precurser to United Way of Greater L.A., published a fundraising booklet. This is one page. Click the image to see the whole publication Community Chest Manuel 1930-1931
Save the date!
2026 Social Work Hall of Distinction Induction Ceremony
Date: October 17, 2026
Location: San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront
1800 Old Bayshore Highway, Burlingame, CA 94010
Inductees: Lance Toma, Catharine Ralph, Philip Tsui, Natasha Paddock, and Pam Brown
Interested in our work?
We’d appreciate your support and involvement.
Volunteering:
CSWA is an all-volunteer organization and most of us are social workers. Should you be interested in volunteering with us, please check out our Committees page for more information on volunteering opportunities.
Financial support:
Please join us in building the CSWA Operations Fund to ensure long-term support for the California Social Welfare Archives. Here’s where your support would go:
Scholarships for social work students interested in social work history.
Stipends for researchers traveling to study the collections in our Archives.
California Social Work Hall of Distinction Awards.
George Nickel Social Service Awards
Frances Lomas Feldman Social Work Education Award.
Oral Histories interview production costs.
Stipends for our Work-Study students.
Your generosity ensures that we continue to honor those involved in bringing about social equity and to ensure that the contributions of social work leaders, innovators, and pioneers will be recognized, studied, and preserved for the future. Any size gift is welcome and important.
You can also text-to-give, by texting CSWAHOD to 41444.
Guests and honorees enjoying CSWA Social Welfare Impact Awards, Los Angeles 2026
