Catherine (Katy) Papell has been involved in social work activities since 1940. A 1937 graduate of the University of Michigan, Dr. Papell received a Master’s of Arts degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College in 1938 and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania in 1950. She was awarded a Doctorate of Social Work from Yeshiva University in 1979. She has been a significant force in the development, practice and professional education aspects of social work with groups since 1950. Beginning in 1957, Dr. Papell served thirty years as a member of the social work faculty at Adelphi University. During her long and distinguished career of 65 years in social work Dr. Papell has contributed significantly to:

• Group work’s struggle to affirm its purpose of social reform and community and human development as professional social work skill;

• Group work’s history in recognizing and accepting the psychological interests of social caseworkers and the clinical potential of groups;

• Social group work’s choosing social work as its professional home base from its very early associates within education and recreation and the theoretical routes of group work in other professions including psychiatry and psychology;

• Group work’s finding a revitalization of its social reform commitment in the societal environmental movement of the 60’s and its relationship with casework;

• Group work’s finding its integrative role in a foundation method representing the whole of social work and unintentionally minimizing its own identity;

• Group work’s striving to restore its own identity as a social work helping method and to develop the methodology within the context of “mutual aid” and people helping people.