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Helen Phillips Levin

Helen Phillips Levin
Born
Helen Adele Phillips

March 26, 1924
Minneapolis, Minnesota
DiedJanuary 6, 1985
Bel Air, California
OccupationSocial worker
Known forDisability community leadership and philanthropy

Helen Phillips Levin (March 26, 1924 – January 6, 1985) was an American social worker, philanthropist and disability rights activist based in Los Angeles. A polio survivor, she had tetraplegia.

Biography

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Helen Adele Phillips was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Rose Ebin and Jay Phillips, founder of the Phillips Distilling Company.[1] Her parents were Russian Jewish immigrants and philanthropists who founded the Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation.[2][3]

In 1941, Helen Phillips married Jack I. Levin.[4] They had two sons, Thomas and John.

Polio

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When her children were young, Levin contracted polio during the 1951 polio epidemic, becoming paralyzed. She spent almost a year in an iron lung during her recovery, and used a wheelchair.[5] Her physical disabilities were considerable. As described by her son John, “She had virtually no use of her physical capacities but an outstanding mind — a lot of curiosity and a lot of energy".[6]

Volunteerism and activism

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Levin looked for ways to be involved in the community.[7] She completed a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at the University of Southern California in 1981.[8] She was described as one of the first disabled students at the USC School of Social Work, with the school making accommodations for her attendance before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.[6]

After receiving her degree, Levin worked at a suicide prevention hotline in Los Angeles,[6] and read books for blind students. She was a major early benefactor of the Westside Center for Independent Living (WCIL), and served on its board. She also served on the architectural barriers committee of the Los Angeles City Council for the Handicapped.[9]

Legacy

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Levin died in 1985 at her home in Bel Air.[9]

After her death, her family established several scholarships in her name at the University of Southern California, including the Helen Phillips Levin/Hebrew Union College Scholarship, and the Helen Phillips Levin Dean's Leadership Scholarship at the University of Southern California's School of Social Work.[8]

In 1983, the WCIL, now known as the Disability Community Resource Center, named its building the Phillips Levin Building, for Helen Phillips Levin.[10][11]

The Jay and Rose Philips Family Foundation has funded the Helen Phillips Levin Endowed Chair of Research at Craig Hospital in Colorado to support research into customized treatments for spinal cord and brain injuries.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Tribune, Chicago (1992-03-29). "LEGACY OF HIS SHARING SURVIVES JAY PHILLIPS". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  2. ^ "Phillips". Star Tribune. 1992-03-01. p. 28. Retrieved 2020-07-26 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Rose Ebin Phillips". Pioneer Press. October 7, 2002. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  4. ^ "Miss Helen Phillips and Jack Levin Exchange Vows". The Minneapolis Star. 1941-07-07. p. 17. Retrieved 2020-07-26 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Gindick, Tia (May 9, 1983). "Neither Polio nor the Doldrums Have Slowed Down Helen Levin". The Los Angeles Times. p. SD-C1 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ a b c "Disabled Student Scholarship Inspired by Extraordinary Alumna | News | USC Social Work". dworakpeck.usc.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  7. ^ Gindick, Tia (1985-01-10). "Helen Levin; Quadriplegic Who Worked to Help Others". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  8. ^ a b Gallo, Eliza. "Disabled Student Scholarship Inspired by Alumna" USC News (February 12, 2014).
  9. ^ a b Gindick, Tia (1985-01-10). "Helen Levin; Quadriplegic Who Worked to Help Others". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  10. ^ "History". Disability Community Resource Center. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  11. ^ "On View". The Los Angeles Times. 1983-05-27. p. 89. Retrieved 2020-07-26 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Craig Hospital Names Dr. Candy Tefertiller as Its First Endowed Chair of Research". craighospital.org. July 25, 2023. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
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  1. ^ "The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation". The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation. Retrieved 2024-08-19.