Richard J. Parvis, professor emeritus at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work and leader in the area of international social development, died Sunday, Feb. 24. He was 92.
Parvis dedicated his life to humanitarian activities. He believed social work could correct some underlying causes of societal and economic problems. He believed social work could correct some underlying causes of societal and economic problems.
Parvis earned his masters degree from Wayne State University. His field work took him to settlement houses in Bridgeport and Detroit, he ran a settlement house in Kansas City, directed a social service agency in Minneapolis, and taught at the University of Minnesota before embarking on his international career.
In the 60s, Parvis spent two-and-a-half years in India teaching in Lucknow and Madras, followed by two years in Lusaka, Zambia, where he helped establish that nations Oppenheimer School of Social Work.
He returned to the U.S. and joined the faculty at the Brown School of Social Work, where he spearheaded efforts to develop an international community development program. In the 70s, Parvis helped found the International Consortium for Social Development, a multidisciplinary network that even today expands community resources worldwide. By the early 80s, Parvis was assisting Egypt with its community development programs.
In 1996, Parvis and his wife Kaye were honored as Ethical Humanists of the Year for their decades of ongoing humanitarian service, particularly to the Delmo Housing Corporation that provides basic resources to six counties in the Missouri Bootheel.
Parvis is survived by his wife Kaye, sons John and Jim, daughter-in-law Barbara, son-in-law Peter, and grandchildren Corinne, Todd, Jannina and Semhar. His daughter Laurie predeceased him in 2007.
A memorial service is scheduled for April 26, 2008, at 1:30 p.m. in Brown Hall Lounge.