Hoehler, Fred K. (Fred Kenneth), 1893-1969

Hoehler was a public welfare administrator at both the local and state levels, in Cincinnati and Illinois, respectively. He also served as director of the American Public Welfare Association. Hoehler headed the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitiation Administration Division of Displaced Persons during World War II and later served as special consultant to the mayor of Chicago.

From the description of Fred K. Hoehler papers, 1917-1965. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63291443

Fred K. Hoehler was active, both nationally and internationally, in social welfare and public administration for nearly forty years. Born June 6, 1893 in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Pennsylvania State College in 1915 with a B.S. in forestry. Shifting his interests rather quickly from conservation of natural resources to, as he frequently phrased it, the conservation of human resources, Hoehler served as the executive secretary of the University of Cincinnati YMCA from 1916 to 1917 and 1919 to 1921 while attending graduate school.

The major course of Hoehler's career is suggested by the following list of positions in which he was employed. [This information is taken from the 1963-1964 Who's Who in the Midwest .]

• 1921 - 1924 : Assistant Director, Berry Schools, Rome, Georgia
• 1927 - 1933 : Director, Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Welfare
• 1933 - 1935 : Director, Cincinnati Department of Safety
• 1936 - 1943 : Director, American Public Welfare Association
• 1941 - 1942 : Executive Director, Joint Army and Navy Committee on Welfare and Recreation
• 1943: Director, Office of Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation Operations, North Africa, and Europe
• 1944 - 1945 : Director, Division of Displaced Persons, United National Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
• 1946 - 1949 : Executive Director, Community Fund of Chicago
• 1949 - 1953 : Director, Illinois Department of Public Welfare
• 1953 - 1954 : Executive Director, Citizens of Greater Chicago
• 1954 - 1957 : Consultant, New World Foundation
• 1955 - 1964 : Consultant to the Mayor, City of Chicago

As this outline indicates, Hoehler was based in Illinois--primarily in Chicago--for nearly twenty years. During much of this time, he worked closely with Adlai Stevenson and Richard J. Daley.

Throughout his career, Hoehler was affiliated with many professional, government, and civic organizations in the areas of social welfare, public administration, mental health, public education, employment security, and international relations. He was president of the National Conference of Social Work (1943) and the American Public Welfare Association (1932-1935 and 1951-1952) and vice president of the International Conference of Social Work (1948-1956). For many years he served on the Federal Advisory Council of the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Employment Security. In addition, Hoehler was active in various capacities in the American Society for Public Administration, the American Association for the United Nations, CARE, the National Citizens Commission for Public Schools, the National Citizens Council for Better Schools, the Illinois Society for Mental Health, Adult Education of Greater Chicago, and numerous other organizations.

Hoehler was the author of Europe's Homeless Millions and numerous articles and also coauthored Persistent International Issues.

In October 1917 Hoehler married Dorothy S. Stevens. They had two children, Caroline (Mrs. James B. Kirkpatrick) and Fred Kenneth. Hoehler died January 18, 1969.

From the guide to the Fred K. Hoehler papers, 1917-1965, (University of Minnesota Libraries. Social Welfare History Archives [swha])