Leadership in 1950–51
Nadina R. Kavinoky, the first female President of NCFR, was a Swiss-born gynecologist who received her MD at University of Buffalo (New York) and was a visiting lecturer at the University of Southern California. During her presidency, NCFR participated officially in several important national conferences: the Mid-Century White House Conference on Children and Youth, the Federal Civil Defense Conference, the National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards, the National Conference on Aging, the National Education Association, and the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO. The following is an excerpt from Kavinoky‘s Presidential Address: Fortunately in the last few years we are beginning to appreciate the […]
Journals and Publications in 1950–51
David Mace was selected as International Editor in August 1951. He was responsible for foreign copy. Thus, he translated an article submitted from the International Union of Family Organizations by Robert Boudy. That year also raised the question of whether the journal Marriage and Family Living (MFL) should be the voice of NCFR and its affiliates or whether there should be a newsletter to carry organizational news. The cost of maintaining two editorial offices was too expensive, and loss of internal control was cited. Receipt and allocation of payments to MFL belonged to the headquarters office. Additional conflicts between the journal […]
Sections in 1950–51
In 1951 the following sections were functional: Economic Basis of the Family Teacher Preparation Education for Marriage and Family Living In Colleges, in the Schools and in the Community Marriage and Family Counseling Marriage and Family Law Marriage and Family Research Mass Media Parent Education Religion and the Family The first two were eventually replaced by “Housing and Family Welfare” and “Family Development Through Cooperative Nursery Schools.”
Structure and Governance in 1950–51
Robert Foster was chair of the committee to appraise and revise the NCFR Constitution and thus was responsible for defining the function and relationship of NCFR to its committees and crafting guides for future development. In October 1951, Nelson Foote was authorized to conduct a survey of the objectives and programs of NCFR and the organization’s place in the total picture of family life education and NCFR’s relationship to other organizations and to analyze executive duties. This was completed in January 1952. The report led to dissent among leaders. Some believed in expanding NCFR’s membership and scope and that it should serve as an action group on public […]
1950: Leadership and Awards
The new budget for 1950 provided for a part-time paid Executive Secretary, a job Evelyn Millis Duvall again accepted. Later, in 1951, a sum of $3,000 toward her back salary was paid to her. As Ernest Burgess completed the first quarter of 1950 as Editor of Marriage and Family Living, Gladys Groves was preparing to increase the journal’s page budget to 104. Groves, with Reuben Hill as Associate Editor, published two special issues that year. Volume 12, Issue 2, highlighted “Issues in Marriage Counseling,” and Volume 12, Issue 3, was a special issue on “Groves Conference.” To honor the dedicated work […]
1950 Conference: The Family Looks at the Expert
The 1950 Annual Conference was held at the University of Denver, CO, September 5–7. The theme was “The Family Looks at the Expert.” This was the first time that several hundred families of the NCFR leaders and members from 40 states attending were at the conference also. It started a precedent for the next several years, of planning places where families could enjoy fellowship and fun while learning. The American Sociological Association held their joint meeting at the same time, and the two organizations sponsored a dinner session at which Leonard S. Cottrell, Jr., American Sociological Association President; G. Horace Hamilton, Rural […]
Affiliates in 1950
State and regional councils continued to grow. In 1950, the first county-level Council on Family Relations was established in Cumberland County, NC. Mrs. William Saunders was the President. Meetings of the affiliates continued to be held across the country.
Journals and Publications in 1950
Gladys Groves became the third editor of Marriage and Family Living, effective with the Spring 1950 issue, after Ernest Burgess’s retirement. The editorial office was moved from Chicago to Chapel Hill, NC. The last issue of Marriage and Family Living for 1950 (Fall) was devoted to papers on family life education and marriage counseling. The 1950 volume contained 164 pages, quite an increase. Another new feature in the journal was called “The Problem Box.” It was intended to meet the needs of NCFR members who encountered difficulties in teaching, counseling, and research techniques or content. The members were asked to send […]
Other Activities in 1950
The First Interdisciplinary Workshop on Marriage and Family Research took place in Chicago, August 1950. This national workshop was sponsored by NCFR’s Committee on Marriage and Family Research and directed by Evelyn Millis Duvall. Eleven different disciplines were represented: from biology, anthropology, economics, experimental psychology, and religious education; as well as law, educational psychology, home economics education, human development, child development/parent education, and sociology. Attendees came from 14 states. The workshop discussed the differences in conceptual systems that affect the approach to family data, the diversity of interests, and semantic obstacles to communication. The motto became “Enriched unity out of disciplinary diversity.” A […]
Recent Comments in this Document
June 7, 2016 at 3:19 pm
Sure, no problem
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June 7, 2016 at 2:45 pm
I wondered if I could use this for a project in my Chicano Studies class at ASU. The project will be put up in an exhibit display and possibly travel around to schools. Please let me know.
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November 12, 2013 at 10:20 am
Also worth a mention: John Gottman gave a Research Update for Practitioners on his marital research, which was well attended.
By the way, the name is “Celine Le Bourdais.”
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August 21, 2013 at 11:47 am
Dennis,
Enjoyed the story. And, what a lucky break for me that you did make this decision. Hope all is well.
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August 15, 2013 at 9:19 am
The 1980 Portland Conference was 12 days after Mt. St. Helen had erupted. There was lots of ash around all over, and I still have a bottle of that ash. That was the year we had an afternoon trip to near Mt. St. Helen’s planned, and still took the trip. On the way up the bus stopped at Crown Point which was typically one of the windiest spots around. The wind was so strong that it blew the name badges out of the plastic holders. It also blew Ruth Jewson, Helen Hartness, and me on top of each other (which was scary for us with Ruth, but she wasn’t hurt). The bus also stopped at Multnomah Falls which was stunning. That evening I played for Bert Adams to sing songs from some musicals. He did a magnificent job.
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August 13, 2013 at 1:24 pm
One of my first NCFR conferences was in Portland and I was still a doctoral student then, and a member of the Executive Committee of NCFR as the student rep. It was at that meeting that I was really thinking about my career and where I should go with it. I was a student in family sociology and my chair was Lee Axelson, then the President of NCFR. He wanted me to take a sociology position. But others suggested that my interests would be better served in Child and Family Development (then in Home Ec) where relationship issues would be easier to study. I did not know which way to go.
At that meeting we took a bus trip to the coast of Oregon for a “salmon bake” on the beach. I sat on the bus between Eleanor Luckey and Ruth Jewson. All the way over and back we talked about career directions and those two people who I respected so much listened to me, and gave me their counsel, experience, and wisdom. Eleanor noted that she had been trained in psychology but chose to go into child and family development since there were more peers there who could help her frame her ideas and help them mature. Ruth saw the emerging scholarship in CFD and the quality of research coming out. The result of that was my turning down sociology jobs and taking the CFD position at UNC-Greensboro, where John Scanzoni and others later joined me a a great department. And my first students there were Jay Mancini and Gary Bowen, who have become successful scholars in their own right.
So the memories of that NCFR in Portland so many years ago remind me of how important it is to continue to foster opportunities for young student scholars to meet with senior people who can give them other ideas, and perhaps bring perspectives that their own programs may not be able to offer. Keep mixing us all up, and recognize the key role you play in the stirring of the creative pots in this vital area of family research and practice.
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July 12, 2013 at 3:49 pm
These changes have been incorporated. Thanks for your feedback.
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July 11, 2013 at 8:52 am
Edits–
1. Please add that he was a professor for nearly 30 years
2. Also change “:marriage and family therapist” to “marriage and family researcher and therapist”
3. Prepare and Enrich should be all CAPS—PREPARE ENRICH
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July 8, 2013 at 4:16 pm
That terminology has been corrected. Thanks Marilyn.
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July 8, 2013 at 4:13 pm
In 1988-89, I was Association of Councils president-elect. In 1989-90, I was president. There was no vice president. Other officers were program chair, secretary/treasurer, and past president. Both the president elect and the president served on the NCFR Board.
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