Born in Nyack, N.Y.

Received MSW degree from Smith College in 1926

First position out of college was with the Charity Organization Society in NYC

1930 - 1950 - Mental Health Consultant for Visiting Nurse Association in Scantron, Pennsylvania.

1950 - Chief Social Worker of the Chief Division of Community Services for the Bureau of Mental Health at the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare.

1954 - Dean of the Boston University School of Social Work.

1957 - appointed by President Eisenhower Chief of the United States Children's Bureau and served four administrations (NYT, 1997).

• When the Bureau was abolished in 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson named her deputy assistant secretary for family planning and population (NYT, 1997).

Worked to establish a program that offered education to handicapped children in their homes.

Smith School awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 1957

Smith School of Social Work awarded lifetime achievement award in 1995

She traveled the world as a consultant on population control and family planning and traveled with the International Association of Schools of Social Work.

• Pioneered a worldwide program to promote the training of social workers for more effective service in the fields of population control and family planning.

She wrote articles for social science journals and a book called "Not My Daughter: Facing up Adolescent Pregnancy" (NYT, 1997).

The growing awareness and development of mental health services in the mid-20th century had a big impact on how she advocated for change

• The U.S. was moving away from large mental health institutions and toward community-based mental health services.

Social Justice

• Through her advocacy for child welfare reform. She actively worked to dismantle barries that limited opportunities for children and families, advocating for policies that would promote equality and better outcomes for the most vulnerable populations,

Dr. Nancy K. Young

• Executive Director of Children and Family Futures

  • California-based research and policy institute whose mission is to improve safety, permanency, well-being, and recovery outcomes for children, parents, and families affected by trauma, substance use, and mental disorders.

Anderson, L. (2018, June 19). Katherine Brownell Oettinger, Children’s Bureau Chief 1967. Smith College School for Social Work Centennial. https://sites.smith.edu/ssw100-history/going-gets-tough-copy/

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library. (2005, November 2). Oral history finding aids. https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/oral-histories/oral-history-finding-aids/ohfa500.pdf

Joe, R. (2020, July 25). Katherine Brownell Oettinger. Women’s Activism NYC. https://www.womensactivism.nyc/stories/5108

Nissley, E. L. (2021, October 31). Local history: Social Worker with Ties to Scranton Considered a Trailblazer. The Times-Tribune. https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/local-history/local-history-social-worker-with-ties-to-scranton-considered-a-trailblazer/article_dd443651-9f18-54a0-87b0-fbde34722aea.html

Noble, H. B. (1997, October 19). Katherine Oettinger, 94, Expert on Retardation. The New York Times. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1997/10/19/issue.html

Oettinger, K. B. (1958). The rights of our children. Child Welfare, 37(6), 1–6. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45391563

Oettinger, K. B. (1967). Children’s Bureau Chief interview [Interview by P. Weaver Crone].

Smith, J. Y. (1997, October 14). Katherine Oettinger, 94, dies. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/10/15/katherine-oettinger-94-dies/6b6bab86-a123-4c15-ab94-3c804482d33c/