Mary Myrtle Brooke (1872 - January 30, 1948) is an American professor who was inducted into the

Alabama Women's Hall of Fame The Alabama Women's Hall of Fame honors the achievements of women associated with the U.S. state of Alabama. Established in 1970, the first women were inducted the following year. The Hall of Fame was originally located on the campus of Judson Co ...

for beginning the social work curriculum in the state. Her program was the first in Alabama and one of the first in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Brooke was involved in the Alabama Department of Education, worked for the

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

and developed a scholarship at the

University of Montevallo A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

Biography

Brooke was born in 1872 in

Canton, Georgia Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958, up from 7,709 in 2000. Geography Canton is located near the center of Cherokee County at (34.2273 ...

. In 1908 she began working at the

(then called Alabama Girls' Technical Institute and later, Alabama College) as the chairman of the Department of Psychology and Education. She taught to first course in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

in Alabama in 1912. In 1919, Brooke spent a year working for the

and then came back to work for the Department in 1920. In 1924, she organized a sociology department and started summer training classes in social work, using experts from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

and

Simmons College of Kentucky Simmons College of Kentucky, formerly known as Kentucky Normal Theological Institute, State University at Louisville, and later as Simmons Bible College, is a private, historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1879, it is t ...

. Her program for social work was the first of its kind in the state. It was also one of the first of its kind in the country. Brooke also developed a scholarship for students at the school. In 1925, she began the first two-year undergraduate social work curriculum in the state. Under her leadership the University became the training center for social work in Alabama as primary site for social work conferences, institutes, and courses of intensified study. Brooke also served on the Alabama Society for Mental Hygiene, as its President. Brooke was awarded a Doctor of Laws by Alabama College in 1936. She was inducted into the

in 1979. Brooke died on January 30, 1948.

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External links

Find a Grave Memorial
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooke, Myrtle 1872 births 1948 deaths Academics from Alabama University of Montevallo alumni University of Montevallo faculty People from Canton, Georgia American social workers