Remembering a Social Work Pioneer: Louise A. Frey
Boston University School of Social Work mourns the death of Professor Emerita Louise Frey. Professor Frey passed away in California on February 13, 2009, of complications due to Alzheimer’s disease. She was 84.
Born on April 5, 1924, Professor Frey received her Bachelor’s degree from Queens College, City University of New York, and an MS from Columbia University. She joined the BUSSW faculty in 1957. Tenured in 1966, Professor Frey made significant contributions to the field of group work and adult learning literature, including her book, Explorations in Group Work: Essays in Theory and Practice, (Frey, L.A., & Bernstein, S., Milford House: 1973).
Throughout her career at the School, she held many roles including professor of group work, coordinator of social work practice courses, and Director of the Division of Continuing Education (the forerunner of BUSSW’s current Professional Education Programs) for 10 years. Additionally, Professor Frey established our off-campus programs in Southeastern and Northeastern Massachusetts.
Recognizing the interconnections between our lives and our varied cultures, Professor Frey was instrumental in expanding the School’s efforts in global social work practice. Along with her recruitment efforts with southeast Asians, she was responsible for the School’s participation in the overseas program with the US Army in Germany, and worked with Professor Emerita Kay Jones in our Refugee and Immigrant Training Program (RITP). She also co-authored a manual on working with refugee minors for the United States Catholic Conference Office of Migrant and Refugee Services. She was honored by NASW as a Social Work Pioneer, and retired from the School in 1991.
Dean Gail Steketee recalled Professor Frey’s “energy, sharp intelligence, strong commitment to group work, and to providing excellent training to students in social work practice.”
Added longtime Director of the Social Work at McLean Hospital Golda Edinburg (SSW ’64), “Louise and I were very good friends.” [We] met when [she] came to McLean to demonstrate the usefulness of Group Work. She was a very special, creative person.”
Reflected Dean Emerita Wilma Peebles-Wilkins, “I know that her work at BUSSW meant a great deal to her. Louise often talked about group work, continuing education and the off-campus programs at BUSSW. The School of Social Work still reaps the benefits of her legacy.”
Recalling a trip to Japan for their International Association of Schools of Social Work presentation, former Associate Dean Terry Lane said, “Louise was a wonderful adventuress; ready to hop on a train to northern Japan, stay at a remote ryokan, eat whatever we encountered, and go out for sushi when only Japanese business men we doing so. She was a mentor and friend, and was a role model for social work. We should all be proud that she chose BUSSW as her professional home.”
According to her wishes, Professor Frey will have a private burial. She leaves behind many friends and colleagues across the nation and throughout the world.
Donations in Professor Frey’s memory are being accepted in support of The Louise and Anna B. Frey Multicultural Education Fund, c/o Boston University School of Social Work, 264 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215. For more information, please contact Amy Dunaway at 617-358-5149.
About BUSSW:
Distinguished by its urban mission and clinical and macro practice focus, the Boston University School of Social Work is committed to educating masters’ and doctoral level students who will become leaders in a multicultural environment. The School offers the MSW and PhD degrees, as well as continuing professional education, and its nationally recognized faculty has been ranked 8th among schools of social work with doctoral programs. Located in a diverse and academically rich community, the School offers almost unlimited opportunities for urban social work practice and research. Visit bu.edu/ssw for more information.
About Boston University:
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school’s research and teaching mission.