Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Records: Social Service Committee (1936-1964)

The Social Service Committee of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Hicksite) held its first meeting in the Race Street meeting house in 4th month 1936. Its name had been changed from the Committee on Philanthropic Labor, but its structure was also reorganized, de-emphasizing the work of sub committees in an attempt to act as a single unit on most issues. As stated in its first Yearly Meeting report in 1937, "a function of this committee is to stimulate local meetings to increase their knowledge of conditions and to furnish leadership in social concerns." In order to communicate more effectively with the local meetings, Mary Hobson Jones was appointed the first Field Secretary. After a period of time, some subcommittees were established. In 1939-40, for example, the Subcommittee on Marriage sponsored talks for Friends on eugenics, birth control, marriage counselling, and family life in the light of how they related to community problems. The Marriage Council was a jointly funded project with Arch Street.

During the War, the Committee also sponsored Friendship Parties for new Americans. By the early '50's, concerns included penology, health and welfare, child welfare, and the care of elderly Friends.

The Social Service Committee was renamed the Social Welfare Committee in 1964.