author
Abraham Epstein
1892–1942
A passionate early advocate for social insurance, he pushed hard for old-age pensions, unemployment protection, and health coverage in the United States. His writing joined research with reform, helping shape debates that led to the Social Security era.
2 Audiobooks
The Negro Migrant in Pittsburgh
by Abraham Epstein
About the author
Born in Russia in 1892 and immigrating to the United States in 1910, Abraham Epstein built his career around questions of poverty, aging, and economic security. He studied at the University of Pittsburgh and went on to become an economist, educator, and writer whose work focused on the practical needs of working people and the elderly.
Epstein became one of the most visible campaigners for social insurance in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. He founded the American Association for Old Age Security, later broadened into the American Association for Social Security, and argued forcefully for stronger public protections against unemployment, illness, and old age hardship.
He also wrote books and reports that brought these issues to a wider public, including Insecurity: A Challenge to America. Remembered as both a policy advocate and a clear public voice, he played an important part in the movement that helped make social security a national priority before his death in 1942.