E. Jane Middleton

Tireless champion of social justice and an embodiment of social work principles

E. Jane Middleton earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in Social Work from Temple University, School of Social Administration. While in the Philadelphia area, Middleton worked in several hospitals and health care settings, establishing a keen reputation as an effective advocate for institutionalized patients and their families. In Pennsylvania, she joined the State Office of the Special Master for Pennhurst (the state's institution for 'the feeble-minded and epileptic'). Middleton was instrumental in bringing that advocacy case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately influenced their 1984 decision to de-institutionalize services for people with disabilities and guarantee their right to be integrated into their communities. Middleton's life has impressed many as an embodiment of the core values of social work.

In 1985, Middleton earned her DSW from the University of Pennsylvania. She then served as a faculty member at Temple University, School of Social Administration from 1980-2000. She became the Chair of the School in April 1993. She served there until 2000, when she relocated to Fresno, California, to become Chair of the Department of Social Work Education at Fresno State University. Her recruiter was another Hall of Distinction inductee, former Chair Benjamin Cellar.

At Fresno State, Middleton worked diligently to modify the curriculum, making it more responsive to the needs of people in California's Central Valley. She also helped establish the Central California Social Welfare Evaluation, Research and Training Center (SWERT), which supported faculty research and student internships, among other endeavors, bringing millions of dollars to the campus

Middleton shared her advocacy vision with many: locally, statewide, and nationally. She served as President of the National Association of Social Workers (NASWÿ's California Chapter and as Vice President of the national organization. She was selected to be part of two NAW National Delegate Assemblies provided leadership to the California Association of Deans and Directors (CADD), and the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC).

Serving on several county boards in the areas of mental health, child welfare, and domestic violence, Middleton identified system strengths and needs and was never shy about calling for system change that put those with service needs first. Instrumental in restructuring the Fresno County child welfare system, Middleton brought needed attention and resources to the grossly underserved and ignored African-American neighborhoods of metro-Fresno.