In Memoriam: Richard Gelles

A superb researcher, teacher, and administrator, Richard Gelles was an important figure at Penn and beyond.

In these roles, he transformed social work practices treating family and child violence, received numerous awards for teaching and research, and redefined the Penn school that he headed, the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), emphasizing the synergies between theory and praxis. Sadly, after a valiant year-long battle with brain cancer, he died at home on June 26, 2020.

Trained as a sociologist, Richard rose from assistant to full professor at the University of Rhode Island. There he served as department chair, associate dean, and dean while conducting pioneering research on domestic violence and child welfare, paradigm-shifting work that led to important theoretical and legal changes in the field. For example, his Book of David (1996), which argued that the prevailing family preservation theories should be overridden in the face of parental abuse, would contribute to the landmark Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, that eased the adoption of endangered children placed in foster care.

In 1998, Richard accepted the Joanne T. and Raymond H. Welsh Chair of Child Welfare and Family Violence in Penn’s School of Social Work. He headed the doctoral program and then rose to dean, a post he held from 2001. Under his leadership, the school adopted a new name, the School of Social Policy & Practice, which reflected an expanded mission and new degree programs. Upon his retirement as dean, he co-founded SP2’s Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice, and Research, returning to his research. Over the span of his career, he authored or co-authored 26 books, numerous journal articles and chapters—garnering more than 35,000 citations—and was a frequent media commentator.

A Penn IUR Faculty Fellow, Richard offered helpful guidance at the Institute’s inception. And, over the years, he worked with Penn IUR scholars on several projects, including recovery work in the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.

Obituaries from the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe, Washington Post, and others document the many dimensions of Richard’s life, which we at Penn IUR join with his sons and grandchildren to celebrate here.