Cohen, Ethel, 1887-1977

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Ethel Cohen, medical social worker, was born on May 25, 1892, in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Rose Myra (Titelbaum) and Herman Cohen. She grew up in Chelsea, Massachusetts; after the Chelsea Fire of 1908 the family moved to Dorchester but Cohen continued to attend Chelsea High School, graduating in June 1909. She was graduated from Radcliffe College in 1913 with a BA degree (Cum Laude) in German. After taking a business course at the Chandler Normal Shorthand School (1914) she worked as a stenographer for professors at Harvard University; the Department of Archaeology at Phillips Academy, Andover; and the law firm of Crocker and Dutch. From 1921 to 1927 she was a medical social worker for the American Red Cross and on the staff of the Chelsea Naval Hospital. In 1928 she was graduated from Simmons College School of Social Work with a MS degree in Medical Social Work; her thesis was A Study of One Hundred and Thirty Two Clients with Chronic and Incurable Diseases Known to the Federated Jewish Charities, Boston, Massachusetts, October 1, 1926 to September 30, 1927.

From 1928 to 1949 she first organized and then served as director of the Social Service Department at Beth Israel Hospital (BIH-SSD), Boston. During that time she held faculty appointments at Simmons College School of Social Work (1936-1949) and Tufts Medical College (1934-1949); served as a medical social consultant to the United States Children's Bureau to assist in the initiation of the Rheumatic Fever Program (1940); as a regional medical social consultant to nine western states and two territories, also for the Children's Bureau (1943-1944); and as a special consultant to the Department of Medicine and Surgery, Research and Education Service of the Veterans' Administration, involved in their residency training program (1949-1952).

After resigning as director of Social Service Department at Beth Israel Hospital, Cohen continued to serve there as a consultant. In 1952 she was awarded a Fulbright Research Fellowship to study at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This was followed in November 1952 by an invitation from the Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel to do a study of their medical program in relation to social service to patients. Other consulting positions included studies for The Boston Lying-In Hospital (1953); the Community Health Project, Harvard School of Public Health (1954); Blythedale, an institution for orthopedically handicapped children, Valhalla, New York (1954); United Community Services of Metropolitan Boston, Health Division (1955); Fordham University School of Social Service (1955); Free Hospital for Women, Brookline, Massachusetts (1955); National Association of Social Workers (1956, 1958); Baerwald School of Social Welfare, Hebrew University, Jerusalem (1962-1963); Children's Hospital Medical Center, Boston (1963); and St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Social Service Department, Brighton, Massachusetts (1965).

During August and September 1976 Cohen was interviewed for the William E. Wiener Oral History Library of the American Jewish Committee; a typed transcript of those interviews is in the Schlesinger Library (OH/26 Cohen.)

Ethel Cohen died on May 6, 1977 shortly before her 85th birthday; she was buried in Adath Jerusalem Cemetery, West Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Cohen, Ethel, 1892-1977. Transcript of oral history, 1976. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Papers of Ethel Cohen, 1918-1977 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers of Martha May Eliot, 1898-1975 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1901-1988 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Insley, Virginia, 1912-. Papers, 1902-1994 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Cohen, Ethel. The function of social case work in a mental hygiene clinic. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn The Hadassah Medical Organization Papers in the Hadassah Archives, 1918-2009 Hadassah the Women's Zionist Organization of America, Inc.
referencedIn Van Waters, Miriam, 1887-1974. Papers, 1861-1971 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn The Hadassah Medical Organization Papers in the Hadassah Archives, 1918 - 2009 Hadassah
creatorOf Cohen, Ethel Hyalan. Ideology in social work theory. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Cohen, Ethel. Ethel Cohen papers, 1932-1959. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
referencedIn Papers, 1902, 1913-1994 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Ethel Cohen papers, 1932-1959 University of Minnesota Libraries. Social Welfare History Archives
referencedIn Solomon, Maida H. (Maida Herman), 1891-1988. Papers, 1901-1988 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Red Cross. corporateBody
associatedWith Baker, Edith M. (Edith Mildred), 1885-1978 person
associatedWith Beth Israel Hospital (Boston, Mass. : 1916-1996) corporateBody
associatedWith Beth Israel Hospital (Boston, Mass.). Social Service Dept. corporateBody
associatedWith Eliot, Martha M. (Martha May), 1891-1978 person
associatedWith Frankfurter, Felix, 1882-1965. person
associatedWith Hadassah Medical Organization corporateBody
associatedWith Harvard Medical School. corporateBody
associatedWith Harvard University corporateBody
associatedWith Insley, Virginia, 1912- person
associatedWith Massachusetts General Hospital. corporateBody
associatedWith McMahon, Kate. person
associatedWith Moseley, Eva Steiner. person
associatedWith Paassen, Pierre van person
associatedWith Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. corporateBody
associatedWith Radcliffe College corporateBody
associatedWith Simmons College (Boston, Mass.). School of Social Work. corporateBody
associatedWith Solomon, Maida H. (Maida Herman), 1891-1988. person
associatedWith Tufts University. School of Medicine corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Children's Bureau. Rheumatic Fever Program. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Navy. Chelsea Naval Hospital. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Veterans Administration corporateBody
associatedWith U. S. Department of Labor, Children's Bureau corporateBody
associatedWith Van Paassen, Pierre, 1895-1968. person
associatedWith Van Waters, Miriam, 1887-1974 person
associatedWith White, Eva Whiting, 1880-1974. person
associatedWith William E. Wiener Oral History Library. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Boston MA US
Chelsea MA US
Subject
Abortion
Antisemitism
Birth control
Diseases
Emigration and immigration
Hospitals
Household employees
Jews
Marriage
Medical social work
Medical social work
Public health
Secretaries
Sex discrimination against women
Social workers
Occupation
Medical Social Worker
Social workers
Activity

Person

Birth 1892-05-25

Death 1977-05-06

Female

Americans

English

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