A Retrospective Chronicle of the Midwest School Social Work Council: Its Vision and Influence after Forty Years

In 2007, the Midwest School Social Work Council celebrated its fortieth anniversary in Cleveland, Ohio. This article reviews early efforts to build alliances of school social workers across state lines, the early collaborative relationship with the National Association of Social Workers, and the eventual need for a new organization. The Midwest Council was seminal in its efforts to offer regular continuing education, to provide conference organizational planning, and to promote scholarship for school social workers. Eventually, its efforts led to the development of the School Social Work Association of America while maintaining a relationship with the National Association of Social Workers. It remains the most stable force for school social workers throughout the Midwest.