Donna Lindsay Salk's specialty was social work and her passion was social justice.
Beginning on the East Coast and continuing after she moved to La Jolla in 1963, she played key roles in organizations promoting racial equality and other social causes.
"She believed in the rights of every human, and she practiced what she believed," said Maria Sardiñas, a retired educator and longtime friend. "In a very gracious, polite, ladylike way, she was able to get things done."
Mrs. Salk, a licensed clinical social worker with expertise in family and individual therapy, died May 15 at her La Jolla home. She was 85.
The cause of death was cancer, said Dr. Peter Salk, her oldest of three sons.
From 1939 until their divorce in 1968, Mrs. Salk was married to legendary scientist Jonas Salk, who discovered the polio vaccine in the 1950s and came to San Diego to head the Salk Institute. He died in 1995.
In 1964, Mrs. Salk was among three women named to head a new advisory council to the state Fair Employment Practices Commission. She was appointed co-chairwoman of the San Diego County Committee of Californians Against Proposition 14, a measure that would erase the state's fair-housing laws.
Although the controversial measure passed by a two-thirds majority, it was declared unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court.
Mrs. Salk also served on the board of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing. In San Diego County she was vice president of the Urban League, chairwoman of the Citizens Interracial Committee and a member of the executive committee of the Economic Opportunity Commission.
Before the Citizens Interracial Committee disbanded in 1970, Mrs. Salk helped lead community dialogues involving civic and law-enforcement officials to foster communication and understanding during a time of social upheaval.
"Donna was assertive, but extremely sensitive as a communicator," said Carroll Waymon, an educator who directed the interracial committee. "She sought ways to resolve issues rather than escalate them.
"More than being a great fighter for civil rights, she was for human rights, for all the people."
Mrs. Salk's civic activism led to a position as co-chairwomanin 1966 of the San Diego County Committee to re-elect Gov. Edmund G. "Pat" Brown.
Devoted to raising her family, Mrs. Salk waited until her youngest son, Jonathan, was in nursery school before becoming a force in social and political causes.
While living in Pittsburgh in the early 1950s, she was active on the regional advisory board of the Anti-Defamation League and the boards of United Mental Health Services and the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Center. She was a charter member of the Mayor's Commission on Human Relations in Pittsburgh and headed the commission from 1959 until moving with her family to La Jolla in 1963.
She taught human relations for a while at San Diego State College in the 1960s and spoke regularly to community organizations about human rights issues.
From 1968 to 1972, she directed the southeast office of the Family Service Association of San Diego County. She then joined the San Diego office of the Family Service Association, where she continued to specialize in individual and family therapy. From 1977 until late last year, she maintained a private practice in psychotherapy.
"When she no longer could meet clients in her home, she did her work by phone," Peter Salk said. She continued to counsel clients up to about two months before her death, Sardiñas said. Mrs. Salk was born in White Plains, N.Y. Inspired by her mother's compassion and skills in recognizing the needs of others, she took up social causes at an early age. She majored in psychology at Smith College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude. After completing graduate work at the New York School of Social Work, she married Jonas Salk, who had graduated from New York University Medical School. A gifted student of languages, she learned to speak French fluently in college. She later learned German, Italian and Spanish.
"She was cultured, with a marvelous mind, and very funny," said Belle Granich, a friend since 1940. "I considered her a brilliant, sophisticated, gracious person – which she stayed throughout her life."
By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 31, 2002
Beginning on the East Coast and continuing after she moved to La Jolla in 1963, she played key roles in organizations promoting racial equality and other social causes.
"She believed in the rights of every human, and she practiced what she believed," said Maria Sardiñas, a retired educator and longtime friend. "In a very gracious, polite, ladylike way, she was able to get things done."
Mrs. Salk, a licensed clinical social worker with expertise in family and individual therapy, died May 15 at her La Jolla home. She was 85.
The cause of death was cancer, said Dr. Peter Salk, her oldest of three sons.
From 1939 until their divorce in 1968, Mrs. Salk was married to legendary scientist Jonas Salk, who discovered the polio vaccine in the 1950s and came to San Diego to head the Salk Institute. He died in 1995.
In 1964, Mrs. Salk was among three women named to head a new advisory council to the state Fair Employment Practices Commission. She was appointed co-chairwoman of the San Diego County Committee of Californians Against Proposition 14, a measure that would erase the state's fair-housing laws.
Although the controversial measure passed by a two-thirds majority, it was declared unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court.
Mrs. Salk also served on the board of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing. In San Diego County she was vice president of the Urban League, chairwoman of the Citizens Interracial Committee and a member of the executive committee of the Economic Opportunity Commission.
Before the Citizens Interracial Committee disbanded in 1970, Mrs. Salk helped lead community dialogues involving civic and law-enforcement officials to foster communication and understanding during a time of social upheaval.
"Donna was assertive, but extremely sensitive as a communicator," said Carroll Waymon, an educator who directed the interracial committee. "She sought ways to resolve issues rather than escalate them.
"More than being a great fighter for civil rights, she was for human rights, for all the people."
Mrs. Salk's civic activism led to a position as co-chairwomanin 1966 of the San Diego County Committee to re-elect Gov. Edmund G. "Pat" Brown.
Devoted to raising her family, Mrs. Salk waited until her youngest son, Jonathan, was in nursery school before becoming a force in social and political causes.
While living in Pittsburgh in the early 1950s, she was active on the regional advisory board of the Anti-Defamation League and the boards of United Mental Health Services and the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Center. She was a charter member of the Mayor's Commission on Human Relations in Pittsburgh and headed the commission from 1959 until moving with her family to La Jolla in 1963.
She taught human relations for a while at San Diego State College in the 1960s and spoke regularly to community organizations about human rights issues.
From 1968 to 1972, she directed the southeast office of the Family Service Association of San Diego County. She then joined the San Diego office of the Family Service Association, where she continued to specialize in individual and family therapy. From 1977 until late last year, she maintained a private practice in psychotherapy.
"When she no longer could meet clients in her home, she did her work by phone," Peter Salk said. She continued to counsel clients up to about two months before her death, Sardiñas said. Mrs. Salk was born in White Plains, N.Y. Inspired by her mother's compassion and skills in recognizing the needs of others, she took up social causes at an early age. She majored in psychology at Smith College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude. After completing graduate work at the New York School of Social Work, she married Jonas Salk, who had graduated from New York University Medical School. A gifted student of languages, she learned to speak French fluently in college. She later learned German, Italian and Spanish.
"She was cultured, with a marvelous mind, and very funny," said Belle Granich, a friend since 1940. "I considered her a brilliant, sophisticated, gracious person – which she stayed throughout her life."
By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 31, 2002
Donna Lindsay Salk's specialty was social work and her passion was social justice.
Beginning on the East Coast and continuing after she moved to La Jolla in 1963, she played key roles in organizations promoting racial equality and other social causes.
"She believed in the rights of every human, and she practiced what she believed," said Maria Sardiñas, a retired educator and longtime friend. "In a very gracious, polite, ladylike way, she was able to get things done."
Mrs. Salk, a licensed clinical social worker with expertise in family and individual therapy, died May 15 at her La Jolla home. She was 85.
The cause of death was cancer, said Dr. Peter Salk, her oldest of three sons.
From 1939 until their divorce in 1968, Mrs. Salk was married to legendary scientist Jonas Salk, who discovered the polio vaccine in the 1950s and came to San Diego to head the Salk Institute. He died in 1995.
In 1964, Mrs. Salk was among three women named to head a new advisory council to the state Fair Employment Practices Commission. She was appointed co-chairwoman of the San Diego County Committee of Californians Against Proposition 14, a measure that would erase the state's fair-housing laws.
Although the controversial measure passed by a two-thirds majority, it was declared unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court.
Mrs. Salk also served on the board of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing. In San Diego County she was vice president of the Urban League, chairwoman of the Citizens Interracial Committee and a member of the executive committee of the Economic Opportunity Commission.
Before the Citizens Interracial Committee disbanded in 1970, Mrs. Salk helped lead community dialogues involving civic and law-enforcement officials to foster communication and understanding during a time of social upheaval.
"Donna was assertive, but extremely sensitive as a communicator," said Carroll Waymon, an educator who directed the interracial committee. "She sought ways to resolve issues rather than escalate them.
"More than being a great fighter for civil rights, she was for human rights, for all the people."
Mrs. Salk's civic activism led to a position as co-chairwomanin 1966 of the San Diego County Committee to re-elect Gov. Edmund G. "Pat" Brown.
Devoted to raising her family, Mrs. Salk waited until her youngest son, Jonathan, was in nursery school before becoming a force in social and political causes.
While living in Pittsburgh in the early 1950s, she was active on the regional advisory board of the Anti-Defamation League and the boards of United Mental Health Services and the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Center. She was a charter member of the Mayor's Commission on Human Relations in Pittsburgh and headed the commission from 1959 until moving with her family to La Jolla in 1963.
She taught human relations for a while at San Diego State College in the 1960s and spoke regularly to community organizations about human rights issues.
From 1968 to 1972, she directed the southeast office of the Family Service Association of San Diego County. She then joined the San Diego office of the Family Service Association, where she continued to specialize in individual and family therapy. From 1977 until late last year, she maintained a private practice in psychotherapy.
"When she no longer could meet clients in her home, she did her work by phone," Peter Salk said. She continued to counsel clients up to about two months before her death, Sardiñas said. Mrs. Salk was born in White Plains, N.Y. Inspired by her mother's compassion and skills in recognizing the needs of others, she took up social causes at an early age. She majored in psychology at Smith College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude. After completing graduate work at the New York School of Social Work, she married Jonas Salk, who had graduated from New York University Medical School. A gifted student of languages, she learned to speak French fluently in college. She later learned German, Italian and Spanish.
"She was cultured, with a marvelous mind, and very funny," said Belle Granich, a friend since 1940. "I considered her a brilliant, sophisticated, gracious person – which she stayed throughout her life."
By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 31, 2002
Beginning on the East Coast and continuing after she moved to La Jolla in 1963, she played key roles in organizations promoting racial equality and other social causes.
"She believed in the rights of every human, and she practiced what she believed," said Maria Sardiñas, a retired educator and longtime friend. "In a very gracious, polite, ladylike way, she was able to get things done."
Mrs. Salk, a licensed clinical social worker with expertise in family and individual therapy, died May 15 at her La Jolla home. She was 85.
The cause of death was cancer, said Dr. Peter Salk, her oldest of three sons.
From 1939 until their divorce in 1968, Mrs. Salk was married to legendary scientist Jonas Salk, who discovered the polio vaccine in the 1950s and came to San Diego to head the Salk Institute. He died in 1995.
In 1964, Mrs. Salk was among three women named to head a new advisory council to the state Fair Employment Practices Commission. She was appointed co-chairwoman of the San Diego County Committee of Californians Against Proposition 14, a measure that would erase the state's fair-housing laws.
Although the controversial measure passed by a two-thirds majority, it was declared unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court.
Mrs. Salk also served on the board of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing. In San Diego County she was vice president of the Urban League, chairwoman of the Citizens Interracial Committee and a member of the executive committee of the Economic Opportunity Commission.
Before the Citizens Interracial Committee disbanded in 1970, Mrs. Salk helped lead community dialogues involving civic and law-enforcement officials to foster communication and understanding during a time of social upheaval.
"Donna was assertive, but extremely sensitive as a communicator," said Carroll Waymon, an educator who directed the interracial committee. "She sought ways to resolve issues rather than escalate them.
"More than being a great fighter for civil rights, she was for human rights, for all the people."
Mrs. Salk's civic activism led to a position as co-chairwomanin 1966 of the San Diego County Committee to re-elect Gov. Edmund G. "Pat" Brown.
Devoted to raising her family, Mrs. Salk waited until her youngest son, Jonathan, was in nursery school before becoming a force in social and political causes.
While living in Pittsburgh in the early 1950s, she was active on the regional advisory board of the Anti-Defamation League and the boards of United Mental Health Services and the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Center. She was a charter member of the Mayor's Commission on Human Relations in Pittsburgh and headed the commission from 1959 until moving with her family to La Jolla in 1963.
She taught human relations for a while at San Diego State College in the 1960s and spoke regularly to community organizations about human rights issues.
From 1968 to 1972, she directed the southeast office of the Family Service Association of San Diego County. She then joined the San Diego office of the Family Service Association, where she continued to specialize in individual and family therapy. From 1977 until late last year, she maintained a private practice in psychotherapy.
"When she no longer could meet clients in her home, she did her work by phone," Peter Salk said. She continued to counsel clients up to about two months before her death, Sardiñas said. Mrs. Salk was born in White Plains, N.Y. Inspired by her mother's compassion and skills in recognizing the needs of others, she took up social causes at an early age. She majored in psychology at Smith College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude. After completing graduate work at the New York School of Social Work, she married Jonas Salk, who had graduated from New York University Medical School. A gifted student of languages, she learned to speak French fluently in college. She later learned German, Italian and Spanish.
"She was cultured, with a marvelous mind, and very funny," said Belle Granich, a friend since 1940. "I considered her a brilliant, sophisticated, gracious person – which she stayed throughout her life."
By Jack Williams
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 31, 2002
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