As part of Empower Missouri’s momentous 125th Anniversary celebrations, we are thrilled to announce our new Charles Ellwood Graduate Fellowship program, named for one of Empower Missouri’s founders and earliest Presidents.
Ellwood dedicated his life and work to addressing social problems. He advocated for an ethical approach to sociology and taught his students to do the same (first at the University of Nebraska, and later the University of Missouri). He was appointed to a professorship at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1900, where he built the sociology major and provided key leadership in the creation of the first professional training program for social workers in Missouri. He wrote thirteen major books, including Sociology and Social Problems, which was the first academic text to emphasize the connectedness of issues facing society. In 1924, Ellwood became president of the American Sociological Society, and in the 1930s he was president of the International Institute of Sociology. He left Missouri in 1930 when he accepted an offer to start a sociology department at Duke University.
Ellwood was also active in social welfare and social justice issues. He spoke out against the 1925 lynching of Walter Mitchell in Missouri, despite public derision. He also helped block a takeover of the International Institute of Sociology by Mussolini’s followers in the 1930s. His work at the University and criticisms of the welfare system led to his early involvement with Empower Missouri. In 1904 he began serving as the President of the organization, then named the Missouri Conference on Charities and Corrections, and is often credited (along with Mary Perry) with a large role in the establishment of the organization. He was chosen as a namesake for the Fellowship to honor not only his pivotal role in Empower Missouri’s founding but also his dedication to teaching.
Our 125th Anniversary year is focused on Empower Missouri’s “People-Power,” and our commitment to developing aspiring young advocates is a part of that theme. Future generations will be living with the impact of today’s policies, so their voices must be heard in their creation. We have a long history of partnering with higher education institutions across the state, from encouraging professors and other university staff to participate in our coalitions, to giving presentations to classrooms and student groups, to bringing students to the Capitol for Student Advocacy Day, or now alongside other advocates as part of our larger Day of Action. Along the way, we’ve built training opportunities and programs for individuals and organizational representatives to learn about the lawmaking process and how each of us can make an impact on policy change that can improve the lives of our friends and neighbors. We know that it’s going to take all of us to truly end poverty in Missouri, and we’re here to help and support anyone who wants to become a part of that fight.
The Charles Ellwood Graduate Fellowship program is a natural extension of that work. This year, and each year forward, we will select 1-2 recent graduates for a fully immersive, year-long, paid fellowship to gain valuable experience in policy research, community education and organizing, and advocacy communications. Fellows will be mentored by our experienced policy and advocacy professionals and will gain real world experience in all aspects of our work. We hope that they will complete their fellowship year with a deep understanding of Missouri’s policy landscape, as well as how advocacy drives systemic change. Through the Fellowship, we hope to continue to build the next generation of Empower Missouri’s “People-Power.”
If you’re a recent (or soon to be) graduate and interested in working with us, we’d love to hear from you! Applications for the Fellowship are open now, with a priority deadline of February 28th. The first year of the Fellowship will run from June 1, 2026, to May 31st, 2027.
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