Arlien Johnson

Arlien Johnson (1894—1988) was an American social work researcher. She was the founding Director of the School of Social Work at the University of Washington from 1934 to 1939. From 1939 until 1959, she was Dean of USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

Life and career Johnson was born in Oregon She attended Columbia University, where she earned a master's degree. Johnson was named the inaugural Director. By 1938, more than half of the welfare administrators in the county were graduates of the School of Social Work. While she was the Dean there, the University of Southern California established an independent school for social work training, and became the first school in the Western United States to provide doctoral training in social work.

In 1947, Johnson was President of the National Conference of Social Work. She served on a number of government commissions, and chaired the Fulbright Commission’s American Social Work Team in a study of social services in Great Britain.

Johnson was one of the "women of the year" of the Los Angeles Times in 1947, in recognition of her community service and leadership in local welfare causes.

Johnson died in March 1988.

Selected works Public Policy and Private Charities: A Study of Legislation in the United States and of Administration in Illinois (1931) "Social Work as a Profession", Social Work Yearbook (1943) "Educating Professional Social Workers for Ethical Practice", Social Service Review (1955) "Development of basic methods of social work practice and education", Social Work Journal (1955) School Social Work: Its Contribution to Professional Education (1962)

Selected awards Listed as a "woman of the year" by the Los Angeles Times (1947)