Josephine Yelder

MSW ’53, DSW ‘75

Josephine Jordan Yelder is a trailblazer who helped to remove the academic racial barriers at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles by becoming a professor of sociology in 1963, serving as a role model for students from around the globe. In recognition of her extraordinary administrative acumen, she was appointed chair of the Sociology Division with responsibility for administering graduate and undergraduate programs in Human Services. She was among the first African Americans to become tenured faculty at Pepperdine.

She served as a supervisor for the California State Department for Social Welfare and assistant training director for the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services, where she was recognized as an outstanding clinician and diagnostician in meeting the needs of African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans and other diverse population groups and clients.

As a scholar, Yelder produced the groundbreaking study, “Generational Relationships In Black Families: Some Perceptions of Grandparent Role,” which was a defining moment in her career and catapulted her into significant work related to underrepresented aging populations covering income maintenance, health, mental health and housing.

Yelder was a member of the Los Angeles delegation to the White House Conference on Aging, board member of the Alzheimer’s Association, and member of the Black Partnership Council of the United Way. She has been honored with an Outstanding Social Work Educator Award from the National Association of Black Social Workers, the Fortitude in the Field of Aging Award from Delta Sigma Theta, and Outstanding Women in Social Work Education Award from Zeta Phi Beta.

“I am very proud of my social work education from USC. It prepared me for the challenges of the field, and taught me how to professionally understand, serve and advocate for my clients on both the micro and macro levels. The ability to move freely between the two is critical to effectively create change and advance the profession.”

- Suzanne Dworak-Peck

Your gift will help us realize our vision of academic excellence and support for the next generation of pioneers.