Harry Cassidy (1900–1951) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

academic, social reformer, civil servant and, briefly, a politician. Cassidy was born on January 8, 1900, to parents Herbert Cassidy and Maria Morris Cassidy, transplanted Maritimers who ran a general store. In 1916 Cassidy enlisted underage in the army, spending the next three years in uniform and returning to Canada in the spring of 1919. Harry Cassidy was a pioneer in the field of social work. He was the founding dean of the School of Social Welfare at

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

in the early 1940s before resigning to work for the

United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was an international relief agency, largely dominated by the United States but representing 44 nations. Founded in November 1943, it was dissolved in September 1948. it became part o ...

. He subsequently became dean of the School of Social Work at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

. He went on to hold distinguished posts in public service, and in the 1930s and 1940s contributed to national debates about the role of the state in welfare and education. In the 1930s he was involved with the

League for Social Reconstruction The League for Social Reconstruction (LSR) was a circle of Canadian socialists officially formed in 1932. The group advocated for social and economic reformation as well as political education. The formation of the LSR was provoked by events such ...

and was a founding member of the

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF; french: Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif, FCC); from 1955 the Social Democratic Party of Canada (''french: Parti social démocratique du Canada''), was a federal democratic socialism, democra ...

, however, in 1950 he ran for the leadership of the

Ontario Liberal Party The Ontario Liberal Party (OLP; french: Parti libéral de l'Ontario, PLO) is a political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. The party has been led by interim leader John Fraser (Ontario MPP), John Fraser since August 2022. The party esp ...

coming in second in the party leadership convention. Cassidy conducted studies of welfare services beginning in the 1930s and 1940s and influenced the creation of a Canadian

welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitabl ...

and improved social services as a means of improving society and alleviating poverty. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

he argued that the government of R.B. Bennett should create a broad system of social services such as Unemployment Insurance as a shock absorber against poverty. His research influenced Bennett's decision to try to emulate

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

and some of his ideas were ultimately taken up by the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

government of

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...

in the 1940s, particularly after Cassidy published his 1943 study ''Social Security and Reconstruction in Canada''. He continued to criticize Canada's social security system as inadequate, writing in 1947 that "The provisions for general assistance are limited, restrictive, mean, and antiquated ... . ey are literally disgraceful and unworthy of a nation of Canada's status". He also worked for a period in the civil service as deputy minister of welfare in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. Cassidy's son, Michael Cassidy, was a

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * t ...

politician and leader in the 1980s and 1990s. After Cassidy joined the army he began to keep a diary, perhaps inspired by recognition of a change in his social role and its familiar routines. These diaries have been published by the Champlain Society.

References

*Irving, John Allan: ''A Canadian Fabian: the life and work of Harry Cassidy.'' University of Toronto: PhD thesis, 1983.

External links

The Letters and Diaries of Harry Cassidy and Beatrice Pearce: The Courtship Years
Edited by Keith Walden. Published by The Champlain Society in 2009.
Harry Morris Cassidy archival papers
held at th
University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cassidy, Harry Canadian activists Canadian social work academics 20th-century Canadian civil servants University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare faculty Academic staff of the University of Toronto 1900 births 1951 deaths American social reformers

References

Further reading

External links