Thompson School History
School of Social Work
Hawaii Hall
A two-year graduate program leading to the master of social work (MSW) degree was approved by the Board of Regents in November 1948, and the school was fully accredited as a two-year Graduate School of Social Work by the American Association of Schools of Social Work in January 1950. In 1950, there were approximately 30 students. The school has since grown to an average enrollment of 300 students in the undergraduate and graduate programs.
The undergraduate program, leading to the degree of bachelor of social work (BSW), was approved by the Board of Regents in October 1976. The BSW program was initiated in January 1977.
In February 1991, the Board of Regents approved the provisional status of the PhD Program in Social Welfare. The program began in 1991. In May 2003, the BOR approved the permanent status of the PhD Program.
In September, 2008, the Board of Regents approved the naming of the School after Myron B. Thompson, a School of Social Work alumnus who went on to become a notable leader in the community.
In July 2016, the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work was reorganized and is currently home to the Department of Social Work, the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Center on Aging.
In December 2020, the school was renamed to the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health.
Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work
Gartley Hall 1921On Friday, September 19, 2008, the Board of Regents unanimously approved the naming of the School The Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work. Myron “Pinky” Thompson received his MSW from UH in 1953. He went on to become a noted humanitarian and leader in the struggle for the preservation of the Hawaiian culture. In December of 2020, the school was renamed to the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health.
Thompson has been described as wise, compassionate, a lover of music, full of life and laughter, a warrior against social injustice, and never satisfied with the status quo or the status of Native Hawaiians. He passed away on Christmas Day in 2001.
Thompson School Reorganization
On July 1, 2016, the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work was reorganized to include the Department of Social Work, the Office of Public Health Studies and the Center on Aging. The School was named after Myron “Pinky” Thompson, a prominent social worker in Hawai`i who had received his MSW from UH in 1953. In December 2020, the school was renamed to the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health.
The shared vision of the Thompson School and its units is “achieving social justice and health equity for the people of Hawai`i and citizens in a changing world.”
The Department of Social Work (DSW) includes a BSW program; an MSW program, and a PhD in Social Welfare program. BSW and MSW programs offer both Campus and Distance Education options. MSW program has four specializations in Behavioral Mental Health, Children and Families, Health, and Gerontology http://manoa.hawaii.edu/thompson/dsw/
The Office of Public Health Studies (OPHS) mission is to advance the health of the peoples of Hawai‘i, the nation, and the Asia-Pacific region through knowledge, discovery, innovation, engagement, inclusion, and leadership. OPHS offers the BA in Public Health. It also offers the Masters of Public Health (MPH) with specializations including Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Health, Social and Behavioral Health Sciences, as well as a Master of Science (MS) in Epidemiology or Social and Behavioral Health Sciences. OPHS offers both the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree and PhD in Epidemiology. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/publichealth/
The Center on Aging’s (COA) mission is to enhance the well being of older adults. COA is committed to interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts in research, educational programs and service to the community. The Center’s initiatives focus on the integration of research, education and service, with a focus on the multicultural populations of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Region. http://www.hawaii.edu/aging/
In December 2020, the school was renamed to the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health.
Myron "Pinky" Thompson
Myron “Pinky” Thompson earned his MSW from the University of Hawaiʻi in 1953. A noted leader in the struggle for the preservation and perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture, he was at the vanguard of the Hawaiian Renaissance movement in the 1970’s. While serving as the Executive Director of the Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center, he helped revitalize traditional healing practices such as hoʻoponopono and dream work. With Kumu Mary Kawena Pukuʻi and members of the Hawaiian Culture Study Committee, he assisted in the development of Nānā I Ke Kumu (Look to the Source), a seminal, two-volume reference book on indigenous healing practices. Among his many career achievements, Thompson helped to establish ALU LIKE, Inc. and Papa Ola Lōkahi; served as a Bishop Estate Trustee, and as president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
Throughout his life, he sought guidance through the wisdom and knowledge of his ancestors to pioneer modern day initiatives that would help ensure the future of Native Hawaiians and all people of Hawaiʻi. Pinky Thompson passed away on Christmas day, 2001. The UH Board of Regents approved the naming of the School after him on September 19, 2008. In support were his wife, Laura Thompson, daughter Lita Blankenfeld, sons Myron and Nainoa, U.S. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools, Papa Ola Lōkahi, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, and the National Association of Social Workers, Hawaiʻi Chapter.