Dr. Rosemary McCaslin passed away August 19, 2019 in San Bernardino. She was born on October 18, 1948 in Houston, Texas. After receiving her Bachelor with honors from University of Texas in 1970, she went on to get her MSSW at the University of Chicago in 1973 and her PhD in 1980 (University of Chicago).
Dr. McCaslin’s career included serving as the Director of Senior Information Services, Texas Research Institute Mental Sciences, Houston, 1973-1976; lecturer, University of Chicago, 1977-1980; assistant professor, school social work, University Texas, Austin, 1980-1984; and assistant professor, school social welfare, University of California, Berkeley, 1984-1989. She left Berkeley to help found and serve as the director of the School of Social Work at California State University, San Bernardino in 1990.
Dr. McCaslin’s passion was gerontology and she served on several aging committees and was a founding member of the National Committee Gerontology in Social Work Education. Dr. McCaslin was a dedicated and long-time member of NASW. She served as a delegate to the NASW Delegate Assembly and as an officer for the NASW Inland Empire region. She was a strong proponent of the profession and urged her students to start their professional experience by joining NASW. At her memorial service, former students, friends, colleagues and her family from Texas spoke of her sincerity, integrity and accessibility. She’s fondly remembered as “Dr. Mac.”
CSUSB has established a scholarship fund in honor of Dr. Mac. To donate, make checks payable to the “CSUSB Philanthropic Foundation” and on the MEMO LINE of the check WRITE: “Social Work, Rosemary McCaslin.”
Mail the check to:
University Development
California State University, San Bernardino
5500 University Parkway
San Bernardino, CA 92407-2393
Photo by: John Coleman
