Mary C. Hester Papers, 1936-1966 | WUA University Archives

Hester, Mary C. (1909-1966)

Mary Hester (1909-66) was an esteemed faculty member of the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis from 1945 to 1966.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 25, 1909, Hester earned her B.S. from Miami University (Ohio) in 1932 and her M.S.S. from Western Reserve University (Ohio) in 1936.

Before coming to Washington University, Hester served as caseworker and supervisor of the Family Service Association of Cleveland, Ohio (1935-1942); Executive Director of the Family and Children’s Service, Ann Arbor, Michigan (1942-1945); and teacher in the School of Public Health and School of Nursing, University of Michigan (1942-1945).

Hester was appointed Assistant Professor at Washington University in 1945, Associate Professor in 1949, and Professor in 1964.  She was Program Chairperson of the Council on Social Work Education (1953), Program Chairperson, Section I, National Conference on Social Welfare (1957), and Program Co-chairperson, Council on Social Work Education (1962).   In addition, Hester participated in countless conferences related to social welfare.