Harleigh Bradley Trecker (1911–1986) was an

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social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

academic and administrator who served as the dean of the School of Social Work at the

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from 1951 to 1968. UConn's campus library in

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was named in his honor until it closed in 2017.

Early life and education

Trecker was born on February 11, 1911, in Cabery,

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, the son of William Henry and Henrietta Trecker. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from

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in 1934 and his Master of Science degree from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

in 1938.

Career

Trecker taught at George Williams College from 1938 to 1941, when he accepted a position on the faculty of the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

. He served as dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut from 1951 to 1968. He returned to the faculty as Professor of Social Work in 1968, retiring in 1977. UConn's campus library in

, where the School of Social Work was located, was named in his honor. Trecker was professionally active in the National Conference on Social Welfare, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Council of Social Work Education. His awards and distinctions included a citation from the

American Association of Social Workers The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is a professional organization of social workers in the United States. NASW has about 120,000 members. The NASW provides guidance, research, up to date information, advocacy, and other resources f ...

(1951), a certificate of recognition from the Connecticut Social Welfare Conference (1967), and a certificate of recognition for outstanding service from UConn in 1977. Trecker's research focused on social work administration, group work, and boards of community service agencies. He authored, coauthored, or edited 21 books, 46 academic journal articles, and 15 community research studies. His works were translated into eight languages.

Personal life

Trecker was married to Audrey Trecker,

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registrar of voters for

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. They had two sons: Jerrold Trecker, who became a ''

Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...

'' sportswriter, and James Trecker. Harleigh Trecker died on August 26, 1986, at his home in

Sanford, Florida Sanford is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Seminole County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 61,051. Known as the "Historic Waterfront Gateway City", Sanford sits on the southern shore ...

References

External links

Harleigh B. Trecker Papers - University of Connecticut Archives and Special Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trecker, Harleigh 1911 births 1986 deaths Academics from Illinois American social workers Social work scholars American university and college faculty deans American academic administrators University of Chicago alumni University of Southern California faculty University of Connecticut faculty 20th-century American academics