Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions Department of Health, Education and Welfare Records

From 1867 to 1878, women organized local mission societies that supported home mission schools. The Woman's Executive Committee was organized in 1878 and administered and supported mission schools in cooperation with the Board of Home Missions. In 1885 the Woman's Executive Committee assumed responsibility for the school work of the Board of Missions for Freedmen and between 1884 and 1893 the Indian (Native American) work was transferred from the Board of Foreign Missions to the Board of Home Missions and the Woman's Executive Committee became responsible for these Indian schools.

In 1897 the Woman's Executive Committee was renamed the Woman's Board of Home Missions, assuming sole responsibility for mission schools. In 1918 the WBHM developed a social program through homes of neighborly service, educational work and medical and social missions.

In the general reorganization of 1923 the WBHM turned its work over to the new Board of National Missions. Under the Board of National Missions the administration of the educational and medical work continued under the leadership of women administrators until 1960, when Katherine E. Gladfelter retired.
During this period the changes in organizational name and administrator were as follows:

1924-1931 Division of Schools and Hospitals
Edna R. Voss

1932-1934 Unit of Schools and Hospitals
Edna R. Voss

1935-1948 Unit of Educational and Medical Work
1935-1947 Edna R. Voss

1948 Katherine E. Gladfelter

1949-1960 Department of Educational and Medical Work
1949-1960 Katherine E. Gladfelter

In 1958 the Department of Educational and Medical Work established the Educational Counseling Service to help students with educational problems through field counselors for black students in southeastern USA, and Spanish American and Indian students in the Southwest. Ernest H. Suerken was executive director of ECS.

After the merger of the Presbyterian Church in the USA (PCUSA) and the United Presbyterian Church of North America (UPCNA) in 1958, the Office of Health and Welfare was formed uniting the Division of Welfare Agencies (from the Board of Pensions), the Commission on Social Agencies (UPCNA), the Office of Institutional Chaplains and the Office of Church Social Work (PCUSA).

In 1960 the Department of Educational and Medical Work was merged with the Office of Health and Welfare to form the Division of Health, Education and Welfare with subordinate Departments (later Divisions) of Education and Health and Welfare. In 1966 the General Department of Health, Education and Welfare was organized with the same subordinate divisions.

The administrators were as follows:

1959-1960 Office of Health and Welfare
1959-1961 J. Park Lee, Secretary

1960-1966 Department/Division of Health and Welfare
1960-1961 J. Park Lee
1962-1966 Robert Barrie

1960-1966 Division of Education
1960-1962 Milton W. Brown
1962-1965 Harry L. Stearns
1965-1966 J. Forrest Burns

1966-1970 General Department of Health, Education and Welfare
1966-1970 Robert Barrie, Executive Secretary

Division of Health and Welfare
1966-1970 Robert Barrie, Chairman

Division of Education
1966-1970 J. Forrest Burns, Chairman

Thelma Adair, Coordinator for Education Strategy

In 1970 the General Department of Health, Education and Welfare ceased to exist and its functions were incorporated into the Department of Mission Development.

1970-1972 Department of Mission Development
Coordinator for Education Strategy, Thelma Adair

Coordinator for Health and Welfare Strategy
James A. McDaniel

In the reorganization of 1972 most of the functions of health, education and welfare were transferred to the Program Agency. The United Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association continued, reporting to the General Assembly through the Program Agency.