Created by the Blue Ridge Institute for Southern Community Service Executives

The Blue Ridge Institute for Southern Community Service Executives was founded in 1927 by Arthur Alden Guild, Director of the Community Fund of Richmond, Virginia. The Institute was conceived for the benefit of voluntarily-supported and public-supported agencies in the health, welfare and youth-serving fields by having their executives meet for discussion of topics that affected their daily work. The avowed purpose was to improve existing leadership and create a desire in communities for better-trained people.

The first session, promoted as "A Vacation Institute for Southern Social Work Executives," was held on August 1-12, 1927, at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina. 56 social work executives from 15 states attended. Since then, the Institute has met every year except one - the 1944 session was cancelled due to a polio epidemic in North Carolina. Each institute has been held at the Blue Ridge Assembly, except for the 1943 session, which was held at the Green Park Hotel in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, due to wartime difficulties.

The Blue Ridge Institute has contributed to the national health, welfare, recreation and community organization literature on a variety of important subjects. For example, the 1957 proceedings on "Staffing our Community Health, Recreation and Welfare Services" was completely exhausted during the fall of 1957, in preparation of the U.S. Report to the United Nations on the use of personnel. Also, the 1967 proceedings, "The Thrust for Community Betterment - Whose Responsibility?", became the source of information for Public Affairs Pamphlet No. 413 - "New Ways to Better Communities."

The Blue Ridge Institute has been largely nurtured and developed in a unique way by the volunteer services of the Community Service Executives who attended it. In the early years the national association of Community Chests and Councils assisted with some secretarial services and part-time professional consultation. This relationship ceased in 1968 and the institute leadership took over all responsibilities.

Attendance at the Blue Ridge Institute is by invitation only. The invitation list is developed by the Board of Directors, which is made up of the officers and representatives from each state attending the conference, taking care to ensure broad representation from all service fields. Programs have covered all aspects of community organization and human services, and after the first few years a summary of the institute proceedings and presentations have been published annually.

• August 1 - 12, 1927 : 1st Institute. Five Courses Given Around - Organizing the Social Forces of a Community to Care for the Social Problems of the Community. President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 15 - 28, 1928 : 2nd Institute What Does the Executive Want to Know About? President: Arthur A. Guild
• August 25 - 31, 1929 : 3rd Institute The Apportionment of Funds for Social Work President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 21 - 26, 1930 : 4th Institute Objectives of Social Work President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 26 - August 1, 1931 : 5th Institute Correlating the Work of Public and Private Leisure Time Agencies President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 24 - 30, 1932 : 6th Institute Controls In and Out of Social Work President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 24 - 29, 1933 : 7th Institute Trends Toward Socialization of Community Forces President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 23 - 28, 1934 : 8th Institute A Clinic in Community Planning for Social and Health Work President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 22 - 27, 1935 : 9th Institute Elements in Effective Community Planning for the Public Social and Health Services President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 27 - 31, 1936 : 10th Institute Interpreting Social Work by Attacking Social Problems President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 26 - 30, 1937 : 11th Institute Organizing the Community for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 25 - 29, 1938 : 12th Institute The What and Why of the Total Cost of Community Welfare Services President: Arthur A. Guild
• July 24 - 28, 1939 : 13th Institute Where the Welfare Dollar Goes and What It Does There President: Walter S. Criswell
• July 29 - August 2, 1940 : 14th Institute Public Opinion and Social Work Interpretation President: Walter S. Criswell
• July 28 - August 1, 1941 : 15th Institute Social Work Assets and Liabilities of the South and Their Implications in National Defense President: Mrs. Florence Adams
• July 27 - 31, 1942 : 16th Institute Social Breakdown in Time of War President: Mrs. Florence Adams
• July 19 - 23, 1943 : 17th Institute Preventing Social Breakdown in Wartime President: Sherwood H. Smith
• July 23 - 27, 1945 : 18th Institute Organizing Community Services for the Prevention and Control of Problems of Behavior and Adjustment President: Sherwood H. Smith
• July 22 - 26, 1946 : 19th Institute Social Breakdown Studies as a Guide for Prevention President: Fred L. Huffman
• July 21 - 25, 1947 : 20th Institute Use of Statistical Tools in Community Organizations President: Fred L. Huffman
• July 26 - 30, 1948 : 21st Institute Getting Things Done in Community Organization President: Arthur H. Jones
• July 25 - 29, 1949 : 22nd Institute Self Appraisal of a Community Welfare Council President: Olin W. LeBaron
• July 24 - 28, 1950 : 23rd Institute What Role Can Community Organization Play in the Solution of Personnel Problems? President: Olin W. LeBaron
• July 23 - 27, 1951 : 24th Institute What Does the Public Think About Social Welfare and What Do We Want Them to Think? President: Lester H. Robb
• July 21 - 25, 1952 : 25th Institute Development of Evidence for Use in Influencing Public Attitudes Toward Social Welfare President: Lester H. Robb
• July 27 - 31, 1953 : 26th Institute Methods to Use in Influencing Public Attitudes Toward Social Welfare President: Dr. Ruth Schiffman Besherer
• July 26 - 30, 1954 : 27th Institute How Well Are We Using Our Health and Welfare Dollar, Especially Our Tax Dollar? President: Dr. Ruth Schiffman Besherer
• July 25 - 29, 1955 : 28th Institute How Well Are We Using Our Health and Welfare Dollar, Especially Our Tax Dollar? President: Harold J. Weekley
• July 23 - 27, 1956 : 29th Institute Staffing Our Community Health, Recreation, and Welfare Services President: Harold J. Weekley
• July 21 - 25, 1957 : 30th Institute Staffing Our Community Health, Recreation, and Welfare Services President: John G. Strohecker
• July 20 - 25, 1958 : 31st Institute Why Do We Need More and Better Community Services? President: John G. Strohecker
• July 19 - 24, 1959 : 32nd Institute Improving and Using Measurements for Projecting Essential Services President: William L. Leap
• July 17 - 22, 1960 : 33rd Institute The Significance of Voluntarily Organized Community Planning and Action for Human Welfare President: William L. Leap
• July 23 - 28, 1961 : 34th Institute Who and What Triggers Community Action? President: George E. Rice
• July 22 - 27, 1962 : 35th Institute How Does the Community Service Executive Lead? President: Mrs. Helen J. Lewis
• July 21 - 26, 1963 : 36th Institute Chaos or Order-Exploring New Patterns of Community Service President: Mrs. Helen J. Lewis
• July 19 - 24, 1964 : 37th Institute Engineering Tomorrow's Community Powerhouse President: William Kaufman
• July 25 - 30, 1965 : 38th Institute Strategy for Total Community Action President: William Kaufman
• July 24 - 29, 1966 : 39th Institute Prescription for Social Change President: Charles W. Fruit
• July 23 - 28, 1967 : 40th Institute The Thrust for Community Betterment-Whose Responsibility? President: Charles W. Fruit
• July 21 - 26, 1968 : 41st Institute Helping the Community Provide Opportunity Health Services President: K. C. Lattimer
• July 20 - 25, 1969 : 42nd Institute Let's Look at the Record. What Has Happened in the 60's?, What Are the Implications for the 70's? President: K. C. Lattimer
• July 19 - 24, 1970 : 43rd Institute Blueprint for the 70's, Social Goals and Priorities for the Decade President: Mrs. Mary Free
• July 5 - 30, 1971 : 44th Institute Rationale for Effective Action President: Mrs. Mary Free
• July 23 - 28, 1972 : 45th Institute Implementation of Coalition Planning-Possibility or Dream? President: Martin R. Barnes
• July 22 - 27, 1973 : 46th Institute Effective Delivery of Community Services President: Commissioner John D. Needham
• July 21 - 26, 1974 : 47th Institute Accountability-The Doing-What Difference Does It Make? President: Mrs. Eugenia Dobson Henry
• July 20 - 25, 1975 : 48th Institute Effective Executives-Better Service to People President: Mrs. Irene H. Burnett
• July 25 - 30, 1976 : 49th Institute The Politics in Service to People in America's Third Century President: Ashton Brisolara
• July 24 - 29, 1977 : 50th Institute The Evolving Relationship Between the Public and Private Sectors in Meeting Human Service Needs President: Paul E. Parks
• July 23 - 28, 1978 : 51st Institute Local Planning-How It Is Impacted by Federal, State and Regional Developments President: Edwin C. Cotton
• July 22 - 27, 1979 : 52nd Institute Continuity and Change in the Family: The Challenge to Southern Community Service Executives President: Mrs. Elizabeth G. Gower
• Jul. 27 - Aug. 1, 1980 : 53rd Institute Health Care in the 80's: A Dilemma for Human Services Executives President: Dwyer C. Sump
• July 26 - 31, 1981 : 54th Institute The Future is Now: An Assessment of Forces that Will Shape the Planning and Delivery of Human Services in the 80's President: Tommy R. Perkins
• July 25 - 30, 1982 : 55th Institute The Community Service Executive as Community Catalyst President: Myles MacDonald
• July 24 - 29, 1983 : 56th Institute Tough Decisions in a Tough Time President: Joe Medlin
• July 22 - 27, 1984 : 57th Institute Human Services and the Brave New World President: Charles Fleming
• July 21 - 26, 1985 : 58th Institute 1983-85: Social Progress-A Prologue to the Future President: Mrs. Wanda B. Phibbs
• July 20 - 25, 1986 : 59th Institute To Serve the Present Age Institutions-Implications and Expectations President: Wayne R. Davis
• July 19 - 24, 1987 : 60th Institute The Healthy Executive-Key to a Healthy Agency President: Lee O. Dees
• July 24 - 29, 1988 : 61st Institute Today's Changing Families-Society's Changing President: A. G. Spizzirri
• July 23 - 28, 1989 : 62nd Institute The South at the End of a Decade President: H. Gene Herrell
• July 22 - 27, 1990 : 63rd Institute The South at the Beginning of a Decade: Coping with Our Environment President: Mrs. Marcia Parker
• July 21 - 26, 1991 : 64th Institute The Changing World of Communications in the 90's President: Lt. Colonel John Mikles
• July 19 - 24, 1992 : 65th Institute America's Youth President: Cecil Hayes
• July 21 - 26, 1993 : 66th Institute Ethics: Easier Said Than Done President: Phil Acord
• July 24 - 29, 1994 : 67th Institute The Greying of America-A Family Affair President: William J. Knowles
• July 22 - 28, 1995 : 68th Institute Managing Change...Changing Management President: Harrison Reardon
• July 21 - 26, 1996 : 69th Institute Developing Community-A Human Partnership President: Dr. Jay Childress
• July 21 - 25, 1997 : 70th Institute Transformational Leadership for the New Millennium President: Larry G. Betts
• July 19 - 24, 1998 : 71st Institute Changing Rules and Roles-Our Role in the New Social Policy Public Social and Health Services President: Edward Garrison
• July 25 - 30, 1999 : 72nd Institute Alternative Leadership Strategies for Changing Work Environments President: Nan Selz Brown
• July 23 - 27, 2000 : 73rd Institute Courage, Competence and Community: Stories of Success and Skill Building President: Leon Matthews
• July 22 - 26, 2001 : 74th Institute future.org/powering up President: Anne Kilpatrick
• July 21 - 28, 2002 : 75th Institute Celebrating the Past: Building our Future President: Robert C. Reifsnyder

From the guide to the Blue Ridge Institute for Southern Community Service Executives Records, 1927-2006, (Florida State University Libraries)