The social service department at University Hospitals was established in 1913 under the direction of Dr. Elias P. Lyon. The purpose of the department was to "minister to the social needs of the hospital population, thus being of service to the patient and to the physician in helping to make the medical treatment more effective" and to make "available a practical field work laboratory which, it is anticipated, will eventually afford students in sociology, medicine and nursing an opportunity to see the inter-relation of social and physical conditions." The first director was Miss Marion Tebbets (1913-1929) followed by Miss Frances Money (1929-1948). Annie Laurie Baker was director from 1948 until she retired in 1972. Robert M. Spano became director from 1972-1989 and Mark Frenzel was director from 1990-1997 when the University Hospital merged with Fairview Hospital.
The department served patients in all medical wards of the hospital and all staff members were required to have a master's degree. Staff of the Social Service department assisted with care of patients after they left the hospital, collected statistics on patient care, counseled patients on proper diet and nutrition and assisted patient's families attain basic services, especially those in which the patient was the wage earner for the family. The social services department was renamed the social work department in 1982.
From the guide to the University Hospitals Social Service department papers, 1930s-1960s, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])
