Kahn, Alfred J., 1919-2009

Alfred J. Kahn was a pioneer in the field of social work and served as a member of the Columbia University faculty for fifty-seven years. Born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 1919, Kahn spent much of his early life in the Bensonhurst neighborhood. His parents, Meyer and Sophie Kahn, raised their children in the Jewish faith. Kahn remained interested in his Jewish heritage through his college years, enrolling concurrently in the secular City College and in the Jewish Theological Seminary and graduating from both programs by 1940.

Kahn's interest in social work as a field of study developed during his college years. At City College, Kahn became active in the Zionist student organization called Avukah. As a student leader of Avukah, Kahn organized a national survey of Jewish college students in an effort to understand the particular needs and challenges of that community. This experience, along with a few courses in social work, convinced Kahn that this would be his vocation. After an initial rejection, Kahn was accepted into the M.S. program at the New York School of Social Work in 1941. He also remained engaged with the Jewish community through an administrative role in Avukah and a post as a Hebrew Sunday school teacher.

Kahn studied at the School of Social Work until 1942, when he entered the military. Stationed at the Air Force Drew Field Mental Health Unit in Florida-the first unit of its kind in the United States military-Kahn screened incoming patients and observed their patterns of adjustment and maladjustment. He also provided informal advice to soldiers (and occasionally their wives) through a column entitled "What's Your Problem?" Ultimately, he published a scholarly article based on his experiences at Drew and collected material that would help to launch his early career.

Upon his discharge from the military at the end of World War II, Kahn completed his M.S. at the New York School of Social Work and began his doctoral studies at Columbia University. He would maintain an affiliation with Columbia for the rest of his life. Kahn received the first doctorate in social work to be conferred at Columbia and, indeed, in the state of New York. He remained at Columbia, helping to develop the doctoral program and to shape the academic field of social work, particularly in the areas of family and child welfare, social service planning, and comparative international analysis.

In addition to his work as a professor, Alfred Kahn served as a consultant for federal, state, and local agencies as well as philanthropic organizations, in the development of social policy. His work in this capacity began very early in his career at the Citizen's Committee for Children. Kahn contributed to the CCC from 1948 to 1972, publishing a number of major studies on juvenile justice under CCC auspices. These publications drew Kahn onto the national stage in the 1950s as an expert on juvenile delinquency. He continued to serve as a policy advisor through the 1960s and 1970s, contributing to the shaping of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs.

Kahn remained interested in children and family structure throughout his long career. Over time, the geographic scope of his interest expanded. Along with his frequent collaborator Sheila Kamerman, Kahn embarked on comparative studies of European and American families and social policies. This research provided the basis for Kahn's increasingly frequent critiques of United States policies in the late 1970s and 1980s, and his advocacy for European-style socialized services to aid underprivileged Americans. At Columbia, Kahn and Kamerman established and co-chaired the Cross-National Studies research program, promoting comparative international scholarship.

Alfred Kahn received numerous honors and awards throughout his career and received several honorary degrees. Kahn retired in 1989 and continued to teach as a Professor Emeritus until 2004. He died in 2009, survived by his daughter, Nancy.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Alfred J. Kahn was a pioneer in the field of social work and served as a member of the Columbia University faculty for fifty-seven years. Born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 1919, Kahn spent much of his early life in the Bensonhurst neighborhood. His parents, Meyer and Sophie Kahn, raised their children in the Jewish faith. Kahn remained interested in his Jewish heritage through his college years, enrolling concurrently in the secular City College and in the Jewish Theological Seminary and graduating from both programs by 1940.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Kahn's interest in social work as a field of study developed during his college years. At City College, Kahn became active in the Zionist student organization called Avukah. As a student leader of Avukah, Kahn organized a national survey of Jewish college students in an effort to understand the particular needs and challenges of that community. This experience, along with a few courses in social work, convinced Kahn that this would be his vocation. After an initial rejection, Kahn was accepted into the M.S. program at the New York School of Social Work in 1941. He also remained engaged with the Jewish community through an administrative role in Avukah and a post as a Hebrew Sunday school teacher.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Kahn studied at the School of Social Work until 1942, when he entered the military. Stationed at the Air Force Drew Field Mental Health Unit in Florida-the first unit of its kind in the United States military-Kahn screened incoming patients and observed their patterns of adjustment and maladjustment. He also provided informal advice to soldiers (and occasionally their wives) through a column entitled "What's Your Problem?" Ultimately, he published a scholarly article based on his experiences at Drew and collected material that would help to launch his early career.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Upon his discharge from the military at the end of World War II, Kahn completed his M.S. at the New York School of Social Work and began his doctoral studies at Columbia University. He would maintain an affiliation with Columbia for the rest of his life. Kahn received the first doctorate in social work to be conferred at Columbia and, indeed, in the state of New York. He remained at Columbia, helping to develop the doctoral program and to shape the academic field of social work, particularly in the areas of family and child welfare, social service planning, and comparative international analysis.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED In addition to his work as a professor, Alfred Kahn served as a consultant for federal, state, and local agencies as well as philanthropic organizations, in the development of social policy. His work in this capacity began very early in his career at the Citizen's Committee for Children (CCC). Kahn contributed to the CCC from 1948 to 1972, publishing a number of major studies on juvenile justice under CCC auspices. These publications drew Kahn onto the national stage in the 1950s as an expert on juvenile delinquency. He continued to serve as a policy advisor through the 1960s and 1970s, contributing to the shaping of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Kahn remained interested in children and family structure throughout his long career. Over time, the geographic scope of his interest expanded. Along with his frequent collaborator Sheila Kamerman, Kahn embarked on comparative studies of European and American families and social policies. This research provided the basis for Kahn's increasingly frequent critiques of United States policies in the late 1970s and 1980s, and his advocacy for European-style socialized services to aid underprivileged Americans. At Columbia, Kahn and Kamerman established and co-chaired the Cross-National Studies research program, promoting comparative international scholarship.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Alfred J. Kahn received numerous honors and awards throughout his career and received several honorary degrees. Kahn retired in 1989 and continued to teach as a Professor Emeritus until 2004. He died in 2009, survived by his daughter, Nancy.