Chauncey Alexander

MSW ’50

Chauncey Alexander’s pioneering efforts are largely related to his leadership and advancement of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) as the largest association of professional social workers, and he served as executive director from 1969 to 1982. While at NASW, he created numerous programs such as ELAN (Education League Action Network) and PACE (Political Action for Candidate Election), and developed specialty professional publications, competence certification and an insurance program. As an NASW ambassador, he represented social work in the international community as well as in federal, state, and local governments.

His business acumen coupled with his social work expertise led to success in consulting services offered to voluntary governmental and international organizations. During his career in social work, he served as a case worker for the Family Association of Los Angeles in the California Department of Mental Hygiene and the State Relief Administration, and as a psychiatric social worker in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946, and then for the Veteran Service Center from 1946 to 1948. Alexander was also the executive director of the Southern California Society for Mental Hygiene in Los Angeles from 1950 to 1954, organizing 11 chapters and improving the mental health system in California. He was associate director of the Regional Medical Program School of Medicine, University of California, and executive director of the Los Angeles County Heart Association.

Alexander was a professor at the California State University School of Social Work. He wrote, taught, and lectured on management, community organization, social policy, health services and social welfare. He received many distinguished service awards including Social Worker of the Year and the Koshland Practitioner Award from the NASW.