NCFR History

NCFR is the only professional organization focused solely on family research, policy, and practice. It was founded in 1938 by Paul Sayre, a law professor at the University of Iowa, Ernest Burgess, professor of sociology at the University of Chicago, and Rabbi Sidney E. Goldstein, Chair of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, New York City.

NCFR publishes three scholarly journals, conducts an annual conference, provides the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential, and provides opportunities for interaction and involvement among members through a variety of publications, resources, and online tools and forums.

From its inception, NCFR was organized by state and regional affiliates and by subject area sections related to the principal areas of Family Science. The national office is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. NCFR is governed by a board of directors composed of professionals from across the country.

The NCFR History Book

A history of NCFR's first 75 years has been compiled to commemorate the organization's 75th anniversary in 2013. That history is posted online as the NCFR History Book.

Mary Jo Czaplewski, past executive director of NCFR, led the history project, which is an online "living publication." Comments from the NCFR community are encouraged, and can be left at the paragraph level throughout the website. The goal of the NCFR History Book is to tell the organization's story through the voices of all NCFR members.