Ruby Beatrice Pernell (1917 – February 4, 2001) was a professor of

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

who served as a faculty member at the

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. T ...

and

Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. Case Western Reserve was established in 1967, when Western Reserve University, founded in 1826 and named for its location in the Connecticut Western Res ...

. In 1963, she was appointed social work attaché at the US Embassy in India.

Early life and education

Pernell was born in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

and raised in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsyl ...

. She graduated from

Schenley High School Schenley High School, located in the North Oakland neighborhood at the edge of the Hill District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a historic building opened in 1916 that was a part of the Pittsburgh Public Schools. The Schenley High School building ...

. She earned a BS in biology from the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

in 1939, and stayed to earn a

Master of Social Work The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a master's degree in the field of social work. It is a professional degree with specializations compared to Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). MSW promotes macro-, mezzo- and micro-aspects of professional social wor ...

degree in 1944.Janice Andrews (2001), "A Life Fully Lived: A Narrative Interview with Social Group Worker Ruby Pernell" ''Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping'' 7(3): 34-48. She completed doctoral studies in social administration at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degre ...

in 1959, with a dissertation titled "A Study of Interpersonal Relationships Between Adolescent Members of a Youth Club and Their Leaders, with Special Reference to the Nature of the Factors Determining Such Relationships".

Career

Pernell directed the James Weldon Johnson Camp Association in 1945, for the Urban League of Pittsburgh. She was hired by the University of Minnesota as an instructor of social work in 1948; she became associate professor in 1953, and was promoted to professor rank in 1960. In 1963, Pernell was appointed social welfare attaché to the American embassy in New Delhi. In 1968, Pernell was named the Grace Longwell Coyle Professor in Social Work at Case Western Reserve University. From 1973 to 1974, she was acting dean of the School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western. She retired as professor emerita from Case Western in 1983.Janice Andrews (2001), "A Life Fully Lived: A Narrative Interview with Social Group Worker Ruby Pernell" ''Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping'' 7(3): 34-48.

Publications

* "Professional and Volunteer Workers in Traditional Youth-Serving Agencies" (''

Social Work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

'', 1957) * "Mediation of Differences Among Groups" (''

International Social Work ''International Social Work'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the field of social work. The journal is edited by Professor Patrick O'Leary ( Griffith University, Australia) and Professor Ming-sum TSUI ( Caritas Institut ...

'', 1977) * "Old Themes for a New World" (book chapter, 1986) * "Maximizing the Potential of the Social Group Work Method" (book chapter, 1991)

Personal life and legacy

Pernell died in Cleveland in 2001.Janice Andrews (2001), "A Life Fully Lived: A Narrative Interview with Social Group Worker Ruby Pernell" ''Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping'' 7(3): 34-48. Her papers are housed in the University of Minnesota's Social Welfare History Archives.

References

1917 births 2001 deaths American social workers University of Minnesota faculty Case Western Reserve University faculty

External links

"The Legacy of Ruby Pernell and Social Group Work"
in Claudia Carson, Elizabeth Lewis, Anna Fritz, eds., ''Growth and Development Through Group Work'' (2004). {{ISBN, 9781315044163 University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work alumni People from Pittsburgh