Sophonisba breckenridge biography sample

Sophonisba Preston Breckinridge April 1, — July 30, , was an American social worker and reformer, the pioneer of the social work education movement in the United States. Breckinridge was originally educated in the law, being the first woman to be admitted to the Bar association in her native Kentucky. She went on to study political science, and became the first woman to receive a Ph.

She became interested in social work through her connection with the Hull House social settlement , where she lived for several years.

Sophonisba Preston Breckinridge was an American activist, Progressive Era social reformer, social scientist and innovator in higher education.

As an academic, she focused her energies on the education of social workers, instituting standards for social work education that were adopted throughout the United States. She was also active with several reform movements, including the NAACP and work with women's suffrage. Her achievements laid the foundation for improvements in the working and living conditions of people for many generations.

Her father was a member of Congress and a distinguished lawyer , while her great-grandfather John Breckinridge was a Senator of Kentucky and Attorney General under Thomas Jefferson. After spending one year in Europe she decided to study law at her father's office.

Sophonisba Preston Breckinridge was an American welfare worker who led the social-work education movement in the United States.

Although her father did not agree with this, Breckinridge continued as planned. Later in , she became the first woman to be admitted to the Kentucky bar. In the late s, Breckinridge decided to move to Oak Park, Illinois, and enroll in the doctoral program in the University of Chicago. She became the first woman to receive a doctoral degree in political science from Chicago in , and completed her J.

She became the assistant to Julia Lathrop , then director of research and co-director of the Center. She took Edith Abbott for her assistant.