Two Men of Integrity and Honor
In the span of a month, in April and May of this year (2016) we lost two group work leaders—Steve Kraft and Bob Salmon—both of whom I considered colleagues and friends.
Bob was Professor Emeritus at the Hunter School of Social Work where he taught since 1971. He was a member of this journal’s editorial advisory board and a much loved teacher and a prolific scholar.
Steve was past president of the International Association for Social Work with Groups and legal counsel for my agency, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, a children’s mental health center.
In 2010 I had the honor and pleasure of speaking at Bob’s retirement party at Hunter College and then, one year later, presenting a service award to Steve at the Guidance Center’s 2011 annual meeting.
Remembering Bob
I first got to know Bob, whose office was right next door to the late Roselle Kurland’s at Hunter, when Roselle (my coeditor of this journal for 15 years) and I planned our get-togethers to discuss journal business. Bob would often join us for lunch. We always had wonderful conversations that I miss very much.
Following is an excerpt from a message delivered by the board of directors of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (now IASWG), which I incorporated into my remarks, upon Bob’s retirement 6 years ago.
On 1 September 2010, Professor Robert “Bob” Salmon will be retiring from Hunter College School of Social Work, where he taught for 39 years.
In addition to being a master teacher, prolific scholar and gifted administrator, Bob is a winning grant writer who brought in more than 200 grant awards.
Bob is member of the editorial advisory boards for Social Work for Groups and the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.
Among his books are the first-ever Encyclopedia of Social Work with Groups, that he edited with Alex Gitterman; and the incomparable Teaching A Methods Course in Social Work with Groups, that he coauthored with Roselle Kurland.
Bob is a loyal member of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups [now International Association for Social Work with Groups] where he served on the board of directors and as treasurer.
Bob is a fine family man who has been married to Sheila for 55 years [61 upon his death]. They have three daughters and five grandchildren.
Bob’s students adore him. As one of them recalled,
“I remember Bob as warm, engaging, approachable and incredibly supportive. He had this attitude that showed that he completely believed you could accomplish whatever it is you were struggling with. It made you feel that you could be successful. I have this memory of him standing behind a music stand that he used as a podium when he taught class. He’d smile, with a twinkle in his eye, and lean forward. His teaching made you feel welcome.”
Remembering Steve
Steve cherished his large and loving family and is survived by his lovely wife of many decades, Aura, his siblings, and his beloved children and grandchildren.
For readers who only knew the late Steve Kraft in his role with the International Association for Social Work with Groups, following is my introduction of Steve at North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center’s Annual Meeting in June 2011, just 1 year after Bob Salmon’s retirement, at Westbury Manor in Westbury, NY on the occasion of his receiving a Servant-Leader Award for his work as legal counsel (and much more) at the Guidance Center:
Steve Kraft has been one of the Guidance Center’s legal consultants for many years. He is also a professional social worker. When faced with the decision of who to choose to consult with on a difficult case, our staff members almost always choose Steve. They choose Steve because he offers sound legal advice and demonstrates social work values and ethics, including a strong commitment to advocating on behalf of those in need.
Steve has a long history of fighting for the oppressed and those that have suffered injustice. He took one case to the New York State Supreme Court, challenging the Divorce Laws. He claimed that double-digit inflation caused hardship for divorced women who were dependent on set alimony and child support amounts settled on in the divorce agreement. Steve argued that double-digit inflation should be considered grounds to review the original settlement and should lead to adjustments based on the new and current economic situation.
In addition to his legal work, Steve taught Social Work at North Dakota, Adelphi, Stony Brook and Yeshiva Universities. He is currently the President of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, an international organization.
Steve has been a foster parent to many children, maintaining continuous contact with them throughout their college and adult years. He is also a gifted athlete who has won the U.S. National Handball Championship eight times and the World Handball Championship three times.
To the Guidance Center, Steve is a treasure. He offers invaluable counsel to our staff. Steve now offers his exemplary services to us pro bono, understanding the financial stress that we have been under for the past several years. We are pleased to award Steve Kraft the 2011 Community Advisor and Servant-Leader Award for his expertise, support, guidance, advocacy and generosity.
What Bob and Steve shared in common, aside from their deep commitment to social work with groups, is that both fit the description of mensch to a tee. If you don’t already know, mensch is a Yiddish word that signifies a person of integrity and honor.