NASW Foundation National Programs

NASW Social Work Pioneers^®

Jane McKaskle

Jane McKaskle, a native of Missouri, is best remembered as an area director of the California Department of Social Welfare for Northern California, a position she held for twenty years. She provided leadership throughout the northern part of California, and was very active in protecting the rights of clients and the development of staff. Prior to this, Ms. McKaskle worked in Washington, DC as a social worker, and served in the Women’s Army Corp during Wold War II.

Ms. McKaskle completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin, and received her master’s of social work degree from the School of Social Work at Berkeley in 1951. She came to work in the regional office of the then Federal Security Agency in 1948, and stayed until she joined the California Department of Social Work.

After her retirement in 1971, Ms. McKaskle became active in numerous political and charitable activities. She was a delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention in New York, a member of the Democratic Women’s forum, a founding president of the Union Square Business and Professional Women’s Club, and a member of the Board of the California Association for Health, Employment, Education, and Dignity. She also served on the Pacific Heights Neighborhood Council, the San Francisco Garden Club, and the Marines’ Memorial Club.

She was appointed to the San Francisco Police Commission by Mayor George Moscone and served two four-year terms. During her first term, she took a three-month leave of absence to serve on the board of supervisors after Moscone appointed her to complete the term of supervisor Dorothy Van Beroldingen.

Ms. McKaskle was a member of several professional associations, including NASW, and the Academy of Certified Social Workers. She married William Murphy after she retired in 1971. Her first husband, Herman McKaskle, died in 1942.

Ms. McKaskle died on March 14, 1990 in San Francisco, California.