Ruth Cowin
Ruth Sheinwald Cowin was born in 1911 in Brookline, where she remained for her entire life. She attended the Devotion School, obtained a B.S. from Simmons College and later a master of science degree in social work from Simmons in 1934. She was married in 1936, but unfortunately lost her husband a few years later, leaving her a young widow with a small child. Several years later, she met Phillip Cowin and was remarried. Ruth dedicated her life to the field of medical social work, and over a sixty year period, crafted an extraordinary career and legacy. She worked as a medical social worker in a variety of hospital settings including the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Salem Hospital. Ruth is considered a true pioneer of the neighborhood health center movement. Later she became a faculty member at the Boston University School of Social Work, where she eventually helped found the joint Master’s in Social Work and Master’s in Public Health joint degree program. Ruth was particularly proud of her work as a faculty member of the Harvard School of Public Health. From the 1960’s to the 1990’s, Ruth was the chief social worker at Cambridge City Hospital. After retiring, she helped found the Committee to End Elder Homelessness. In the late 1990’s, Ruth was named a Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Workers.
Ruth traces her family history; her grandparents were born in Europe, immigrated to the United States, and settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Both of her parents worked and encouraged her to pursue her education. Her mother was active in the Sisterhood at Temple Israel, and Ruth was raised with a strong identification with her Jewish heritage. Ruth describes some of her earliest memories growing up in Brookline and encountering antisemitism. She tells the story of how she met her husband, then being widowed two years into their marriage, and moved in with her parents and her small child. Later, she met and married Phillip Cowin, an attorney. Ruth reflects on her married life, raising her son, traveling together, and the Jewish rituals and holidays they observed. She charts her educational and professional career, earning a bachelor’s degree and later a master of science degree in social work from Simmons College in 1934. Ruth worked as a medical social worker in various settings and eventually helped develop the dual degree program at Boston University School of Social Work with the School of Social Work and the School of Public Health. Ruth explains her dedication to social work and the “great deal of compassion and courage" it requires. She also mentions the many challenges, rewards, and accomplishments of her career in medical social work. The interview explores Ruth's many mentors, influences, and experiences that helped form the foundation of her career. Ruth discusses her relationships with her patients and colleagues, the various programs she founded and grew, and her teaching experience at Boston University and Harvard University. Ruth also talks about the changes in the study of psychology, the various schools of thought popularized in the 20th Century, and the different applications, issues, and methodologies she studied and taught.
In the second interview session, Ruth describes her involvement in the Rosenfeld Foundation beginning in the 1940s, being a working mom when it wasn't as typical or accepted, and how she approached building her career. She talks about changes in social work and medical social work specifically throughout her career and the impact of various social and cultural movements, such as the Women's Movement of the 1960s and '70s. Ruth translated her belief in social justice and consciousness into real-world actions such as forming the Committee to End Elder Homelessness and working with refugee and minority populations. Finally, Ruth reflects on losing her second husband, her life since, and the many professional successes she achieved in the field of medical social work.
