NASW Foundation National Programs

NASW Social Work Pioneers^®

Alfred M. Neumann (1910- 2002)

For almost 30 years Alfred (Fred) Neumann was executive director of the Jewish Family and Children's Service of Colorado (1948 to 1976). His pioneering work included reorganization of the entire social service program of this agency, organization of family counseling, developments of programs in child placement and adoptions and immigration services. He organized the vocational guidance service including psychological and vocational testing and organized the utility workshop of Denver, a sheltered workshop for the rehabilitation of social and emotionally mentally handicapped Jewish and non-Jewish clients from the entire Rocky Mountain area. Throughout his work with the Denver agency and as a consultant with many other agencies throughout the country he tried to find better ways to resettle displaced persons and to help them deal with individual and family problems.

Fred Neumann was born in Vienna, Austria. He received a doctorate juris prudence degree from the University of Vienna in 1934 and until 1937 worked in the criminal and civil courts in Vienna. Following Hitler's occupation of Austria, he was a counselor in the demogration department in Vienna and was instrumental in organizing the relief giving to needy Jewish families, furnishing of emergency housing facilities, setting up of retraining programs and helping with immigration problems in the Jewish community. Sometime after 1938, he was able to leave Vienna and eventually escape to the United States. In 40-41 he went to the school of Social Work at Columbia University and received his masters in 1941. Before going to Denver, he worked with the Jewish Social Service Association in New York City and with the Youth Bureau in Cleveland, Ohio and with Jewish Family and Children Services of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He took post graduate training and family and marital counseling at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work and at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work. He continued a small private practice after his retirement from the Denver agency.

In 1976 Dr. Neumann moved to Sun City, Arizona. In that community he became involved with a variety of social agencies and was a board member of Interface Services and of the Jewish Family Service in Phoenix, Arizona. He traveled in many mid-western states addressing community groups to interpret the Federal Republic of Germany's efforts to rebuild its social structure, its new legal basis and its role in the concert of nations, its culture, its educational goals and problems. In 1982 he was the recipient of federation service cross 1st class from the Federal Republic of Germany. June 30, 1982 was by the proclamation of the governor of Colorado, the "Dr. Alfred M. Neumann Day".

Another of his pioneering activities from 1966 to 1982 was senior consultant to the Office of Economic Opportunity, Head Start and follow through programs. He trained staff of over 100 Head Start programs in administration and the efficient use of volunteers. Dr. Neumann passed away on March 3, 2002.