National Conference on Social Welfare Proceedings (1874-1982)For more than a century, the National Conference of Social Welfare (NCSW) was a focal point and forum for social welfare services and reform efforts in the United States and, to a certain extent, Canada. From 1874 to 1983, thousands of persons responsible for, or concerned about, charitable or social institutions and programs came together once a year, forming a critical mass where issues were debated and new programs spawned. The Conference’s published proceedings reflect attention to a broad range of social concerns – immigration, urban blight, sanitation and public health, industrial accidents, child labor, juvenile delinquency, mental health, poverty and pauperism – and organized efforts to address them. These proceedings were issued under earlier names of the Conference as follows: 1874, Conference of Boards of Public Charities; 1875-1879, Conference of Charities; 1880-1881, Conference of Charities and Correction; 1882-1916, National Conference of Charities and Correction; 1917-1956, National Conference of Social Work; 1957-, National Conference on Social Welfare.