`
NASW Foundation: National Programs
NASW Social Work Pioneers
Vilona Phillipi Cutler June 17, 1890 – September 1970
Pioneering Contributions: Leonard D. Benton, former president of the Greater OKC Urban League in a
1984 letter to a Governor’s Committee on status of women in Oklahoma wrote about Vilona Cutler’s
contributions to civil rights: “ Ms. Cutler was committed and a consistent advocate for the promotion of
human dignity, improved race relations and equal opportunity for all persons (Pierson, 2012). Many
doors of opportunity were opened for Blacks and other minorities through Ms. Cutler’s efforts (Ibid,
2012). Vilona Phillippi Cutler’s pioneering efforts were multiple and most notable were her efforts in
her role as YWCA Executive Secretary taking civil risks to secure equal opportunities for education, safe
housing and recreation for Oklahoma young girls and women who happened to be of African heritage.
She fought against white privilege social norms and doing away with the multiple indignities
experienced by Black Americans with Jim Crow segregation laws. She recognized that Oklahoma girls
and black women had same needs as their white counterparts in Great Britain that led to founding of
the YWCA. In 1941 she worked to establish a small “YWCA Branch” to serve the Black community. In
academic year 1940-41 she was appointed instructor of social work at the University Of Oklahoma
School Of Social on a part-time basis to offer a new course for the school in social group work. In 1945
she was able to get her YWCA board to appoint a multiracial committee for purpose of raising funds to
secure a more permanent building to house the branch. Ms. Cutler proposed idea of a concert by Black
artists to raise funds to establish the new Branch building. Racial barriers were broken in the fund
raising process by having a mix race fund raising committee and having a mix race audience in a public
facility that had been off limits to Blacks. Twenty-three church choirs with more than five hundred
voices were present on February 25, 1946 for the first concert. The event was so successful; it became
an annual mix race fund raising event. She broke additional racial barriers in 1946 by opening the first
interracial dining room at the YWCA and integrating the YWCA camp facility for girls and young women.
She helped establish a USO facility for Black service men. In 1946 she provided office space in the
basement of the YWCA for the new Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City. Ms. Cutler served as
Director of the School of Social Work from 1950-53 during its first MSW accreditation process by the
American Association of Schools of Social Work. Before the National Association of Social Workers was
established in 1955, she chaired the earlier Oklahoma Chapter of the American Association of Social
Workers.
Biographic Data: Vilona Phillippi Cutler (1890-1970), youngest of four children, was born June 17,
1890 in Harper County, (south central) Kansas. She was raised in a farm where her parents grew
wheat and raised cattle. Her father served at different times as Harper County sheriff, county clerk
and treasurer. Her mother, a college graduate trained as a school teacher was viewed in their rural
community as ‘close’ to being a doctor. Ms. Cutler recalled youth memories of” her mother
leaving in middle of the night on horseback to attend to a sick child or to assist with a birthing”
(Pierson, 2012). After high school graduation, Ms. Cutler took and passed the Kansas teacher’s
exam that led to a teaching position in a one-room country school. With her teaching and a 1910
part-time deputy clerk position earnings’ she was able to fund her college education at Kansas
State Agricultural College in Manhattan. She sought a degree in bacteriology to help farmers like
her parents with the trials of farming. She completed a four year degree in three years and
completed 45 graduate hours toward a MS (Master of Science) degree in bacteriology with a
graduate scholarship. While a student she was active in several student organizations, one a
leadership role with the Young Women’s Christian Association (referred to as Y girls) led to a “war
camp worker” role at Camp Wheeler in Macon, Georgia at start of World War I in 1917. Her role
involved setting up recreational activities and support services for wives of the troops. Her
exposure to disparities between whites and blacks influenced her profess ional advocacy
convictions reflected in her leadership of thirty three years with the YWCA (Pierson, 2012). In April
1919 the YWCA transferred her to Miami, Florida, the center of three military camp units. Her war
camp worker role ended with end of World War I, and her formal role with the YWCA began when
she was named general secretary for the new Miami YWCA chapter that had purchased the former
Fort Dallas Hotel to provide housing for working women displaced by the war effort. During her
tenure in Miami Ms. Cutler saw her need for additional training to help returning veterans and
their families with psychological problems. The Miami YWCA cut its work force from sixty to six as
result of the 1929 financial crash and Ms. Cutler was moved to Yonkers, New York to assume
leadership (general secretary) of the YWCA. During her years at Yonkers Ms. Cutler began and
completed her social work coursework studies in 1936 at the New York School of Social Work. At
that time the New York School of Social Work was not a degree granting institution, graduates
received a diploma which was considered equivalent to a two year master of social work degree
recognized several years later when Columbia accepted the work of the New York School for
degree granting purposes. Her field work concentration in group work and community
organization supported her YWCA experience. In summer of 1936 Ms. Cutler accepted position of
general secretary of the Oklahoma City YWCA. During academic year 1940-41 Ms. Cutler was
appointed instructor in social work on a part-time basis to teach the new social group work course.
She continued her part time affiliation with the School until she retired in 1959. She taught social
group work and supervised field work students placed at the YWCA. From 1950 to 1953 she served
as Director of the School of Social Work at rank of Professor of Social Work .
3
Significant Achievements and Awards: In January 1948 Cutler was nationally recognized for her
race relations leadership work in Oklahoma City, her service on the Governor’s Children's Code
Commission, her involvement in the founding of the National Urban League Chapter of Oklahoma City,
and her opening of the YWCA camp to Negro girls. For these achievements Cutler received the New
York School of Social Work prestigious Norma and Murray Hearn Social Action Award presented
annually to an outstanding social worker in the nation. She also was first recipient of the annual
Americanism Award for meritorious community service presented by the Lewis Berlitz B'Nai B'rith
Lodge Women’s Auxiliary. In November 1950, the Urban League of Oklahoma City established the
Vilona P. Cutler Award, its most prestigious award to recognize and honor Cutler’s contributions to
the Oklahoma City community. It is presented every five years to an individual in recognition of
meritorious and outstanding service for building better human relations to advance the general welfare
of all Oklahoma citizens. In 2008 the Urban League presented its sixteenth Vilona P. Cutler Award.
Pierson, G. N. (2012). Vilona P. Cutler: Humanitarian, activist, and educator. The chronicles of
Oklahoma XC(1), 52-67