NASW Foundation National Programs

NASW Social Work Pioneers^®

Azile Howard Aaron (1897-1980)

Azile Howard Aaron is best-known for her leadership of the Bureau of Public Assistance (BPA) and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) on the west coast. A regional director for BPA for 25 years, she was responsible for helping states meet BPA standards and develop appropriate plans for receiving federal money. Aaron was the regional representative responsible for bringing Arizona to account at the federal level for failing to meet federal standards. Before Aaron's employment with BPA she was director for the YWCA and was active in the Downtown Senior Citizens group. She received a degree in Letters and Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1918. Azile died in San Francisco.