social security: august1995

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Oasis

Disability redesign update:recommendations approved

Kiosk debuts in Albuquerque

Special 60th anniversary section:Social Security through the decades

Take a tour of the SSAHistory Room

Satellite broadcasts expandbeyond SSA audience

Commissioner’s message

Scanning Social Security

Retirees

Letters to the editor

7 Anything can happen

This month we mark a significantmilestone-the 60th anniversary ofthe signing of the Social Security Act.Social Security has become the mostsuccessful domestic program in thehistory of the United States.

Because of Social Security, mil-

lions of Americans can enjoy theirretirement years with some financialstability. Because of Social Security,millions of Americans with disabili-ties can lead more independent lives.because of Social Security, millionsof families can count on continuingincome when one parent becomesdisabled or dies.

As a tribute to Social Security,we’ve put together a special section,beginning on page 8, highlighting

the program through the past 60years. We’re also featuring a tour ofthe SSA History Room, beginning onpage 16. In the cover photo, Manage-ment Analyst Bob Krebs (far right)guides several employees throughhistory, as he describes some of the

exhibits to, from l., Records Manage-ment Analyst Don Gombieski, OPLM;Administrative Assistant Chris Close,Federal Protective Service; and ClerkLakeesha Butler, OSI.

Other articles of interest thismonth include the latest in the dis-ability redesign process-page 4-and the premiere of the kiosk inAlbuquerque, N.M.-page 6.

Because we’re not able to printeverything that we receive, we’d like

to acknowledge all of those whowrote to us, expressing their feeliabout the Oklahoma City tragedyWe received poems, condolences,thank you notes, even contributio(which, of course, we forwarded the relief fund specified). We hea

from employees and retirees alikeand we thank them for writing.

As a final note, employees inOklahoma City asked us to convetheir thanks for the many supporgestures made on their behalf. Asthey pick up the pieces of their livthey say they are grateful to be inthe SSA family.

Shirley S. ChaterCommissioner

Sheryl Morris AUGUST 1995 VOLUME 41 NUMBER 7Editor SS A Publication No. 03-010

Joan WainwrightAssociate Commissionerfor Communications

Published for the employees of the Social Security Administration.Contributions and inquiries should be addressed to the Editor,4-H-10 West Highrise, Baltimore, MD 21235. Phone 410-965-3909.cc:Mail address--Sheryl Morris at--S5R.

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Commissioner’s message

Sixty years ago, Americanfamilies had virtually noprotection against the eco-

nomic loss that is suffered whena family breadwinner retires,becomes disabled or dies. Mostsenior citizens lived in povertyPoorhouses dotted the land. Dis-ability insurance was unknown.Life insurance was meager formany and absent for most.

The Social Security Act of 1935provided a ray of hope whenPresident Roosevelt signed thenew act into law. That signatureset in motion historic changethat would forever alter the wayAmericans live and work and theway we think about retirementand our income security

For 60 years, Social Securityhas provided a foundation of eco-

nomic security Today, nearly 30million retirees and their familiescount on a monthly Social Secu-rity benefit, and a productive andrewarding retirement is now anexpected part of life. About 5.6million disabled workers andtheir families receive benefitsfrom Social Security, and 7.4 mil-lion survivors get a Social Secu-rity payment each month.

For these millions of people,

and the millions who have gonebefore them, 60 years of SocialSecurity history is 60 years of abrighter, more prosperous, moresecure America. On behalf of allthese individuals whose lives arematerially better because of Social

Security we celebrate the program’s60th anniversary

Social Security works becauseit speaks to a universal humanneed. Throughout history, peoplehave had to come to terms withthe problem of economic securityfor those who are no longer fullyemployed due to age or disability,or when a family breadwinnerdies prematurely

Social Security also endures

because it is founded on soundprinciples. In my view, the suc-cess of Social Security is rootedin four basic principles:.Social Security is an earnedright connected to work;.Social Security is part of apackage of protection;.Social Security is flexible andadaptable; and.Social Security is a compactacross generations.

All of this is not to say that theprogram faces no challenges in its60th year. We are faced with somemajor challenges.

Confidence in Social Securityis at a low ebb. Confidence in thefuture of Social Security is lowestamong young workers, many ofwhom expect they will receivenothing from the program‘

We need to educate the public.We need to tell them that theprogram is not in imminentdanger, that there is plenty oftime to make whatever changesare necessary to ensure a securefuture.

The 60th anniversary of theSocial Security Act is, of course,

a celebration of the prograself, and of the men and wwho gave us this importanacy But it is also a celebratthe institution that breatheinto the ideas embodied inSocial Security Act.

It is a celebration of the sands of dedicated men anwomen who work for SSAwho have done so over thI fully understand that our

ployees are our most precresource.

I am confident that if wtinue the legacy, the Amerpublic will continue to suSocial Security and derive many benefits for another years. And the CommissioSocial Security in the year will be able to reflect on 12of proud history and marvthe genius and the hard w

of the President, Congress SSA employees who craftecarried out such a successfenduring program



s month, we celebrate the 60thsary of the Social Securitye program which todayvirtually all jobs, continuescertain basic characteristics

n the original program;eligibility is earned throughn covered jobs, participa-generally compulsory, thet of benefits is related tod earnings, the program ised to provide a base of pro-

on, and benefits are financedprimarily through dedicated pay-roll taxes paid by workers andtheir employers.

Yet, while the program funda-

mentals have remained the sameduring the past six decades, muchhas changed. As American workand life patterns have changed, sotoo has Social Security been adaptedto meet current expectations.

The following pages highlightthe major changes in the historyof Social Security as it has evolved

8August 1995



August 14, 1935--Social becomes a reality when PFranklin Roosevelt signs into law. In addition to seprovisions for general we

the new act created a socance program designed tretired workers age 65 orcontinuing income after r

Another provision of thestablished an independeSecurity Board reporting to the President. The origmembers (in photo, top rwere Arthur Altmeyer (1.Winant, Chairman; and VMiles. Their task was to p

employers, employees anpublic with information oearnings were to be provit o undertake all necessaryties to implement the newgram. Sites for field instahad to be chosen and perstaff the offices had to be and trained.

From 1937 until 1940, SSecurity paid benefits in of a single, lump-sum paPayment of monthly retirbenefits began in JanuaryBut, even before the first was made, the 1939 amento the Social Security Act ized benefits for aged wivwidows of retirees, their under age 48 and surviviparents.



efforts on fighting World War II,the Social Security program re-mained essentially unchanged.Nevertheless, the program grew

in importance both to the agedand to the economy The numberof beneficiaries grew from about222,080 at the end of 1940 to morethan three million in 1949. Averagemonthly benefits grew slightly-from $22.60 for a retired workerin 1940 to $26 at the end of thedecade-less than the rate ofinflation.

Under President Harry Tru-man’s Reorganization Plan of

1946, the Social Security Boardwas abolished and replaced withthe Social Security Administra-tion (still under FSA); ArthurAltmeyer became the first Com-missioner of Social Security

Below, le f t : Ida Ful ler , f i rs t Soc ia l Secur i t y

benef ic iary ; r ight : Ar thur A l tmeyer . A t r ight ,field office employees take applications.

B A S I S 1 0 August 1



Disability coverage was thof the decade. Amendmenthe Social Security Act prmonthly benefits to permand totally disabled work

their spouses and childrento adult children of decearetired workers, if disableage 18. By the end of the 559,000 people were recedisability benefits, with thage benefit amount being$80 per month.

At left, Secretary of Health, Educatifare Arthur Flemming lays the cornthe new headquarters complex in WBelow, electronic data processing is used to update earnings informa

OASIS



“Compassion and reason dictate that this logical exten- sion of our proven Social Security system will supply the prudent, feasible, and dignified way to free the aged from the fear of financial hardship in the event of illness.”

.

Lyndon B. Johnson

Major changes to the Social Secu-rity program occurred during thisdecade. The administration’s newWoodlawn headquarters openedas the workforce grew.

The most significant adminis-trative change was the signingof the Medicare bill on July 30,1965. SSA became responsiblefor administering a new socialinsurance program that extendedhealth coverage to almost allAmericans aged 65 or older.Nearly 20 million beneficiariesenrolled in Medicare in the firstthree years. The Health CareFinancing Administration as-

surned responsibility for Medi-care upon its creation in 1977.SSA’s responsibilities were ex-

tended by the Federal Coal MineHealth and Safety Act. Under thisact, the agency was directed toprocess claims and gay benefitsto disabled coal miners who have‘“black lung” disease and to theirdependents or survivors.

Below, headquarters complex opens. At right,miners covered for “black lung” disease. Inset,President Johnson signs Medicare bill.

OASIS 12 August 19



A new program, SupplemSecurity Income, brought responsibilities to SSA. Thewas chosen to administer

program because of its refor successful administratiexisting social insurance pOur nationwide network offices and large-scale datessing and recordkeeping tions also made SSA the lchoice to perform the majof converting over three people from state welfare grams to SSI.

At the start of the progr4974, there were 3.2 millionbeneficiaries receiving an payment of $114 per mon

To cope with the influx beneficiaries, SSA hired amately 10,000 new emploand opened several hundrfield offices. In addition, tData Acquisition and ResSystem, a new nationwideputer network that provid

online data retrieval and fdating capabilities, was in



of 1980 made many changes inthe disability program. Most ofthese focused on various work

incentive provisions under bothSocial Security and SSI.It was determined that the

Social Security program faced aserious long-term financing crisis.The Greenspan Commission,appointed by President Reagan,studied the finance issues andmade recommendations for legis-dative changes. The final bill,signed in 1983, made numerouschanges in the Social Security and

Medicare programs, including thetaxation of Social Security bene-fits, the first coverage of federalemployees under Social Securityand an increase in the retirementage in the next century.

Throughout the decade, SSA’sSystems Modernization Plan wasprogressing, marked by the open-ing of the new National Com-puter Center at headquarters. TheMetro West Building in down-

town Baltimore also was officiallydedicated.

SSA also faced a major down-sizing, cutting almost 25 percentof its staff over a five-year period.

At right, President Reagan signs the 1983

amendments; f i e ld o f f i ce empioyees beg intaking claims with computers; and the

National Computer Center opens.



"With an independe we are reinventing operations so that I

better.”

William J. Clinton

Shirley S. Chater (inset) jSSA as the 12th Commiss

Thanks to the Social SeIndependence and PrograImprovements Act of 1994

became an independent once again on March 31, 1President Clinton signs thslation in photo below.

Al Gore (in photo at lefcame the first Vice Presidevisit SSA headquarters.

Fifteen SSA employees, office volunteer, and 21 ovisitors were killed when exploded outside the OklCity Okla., District Office

April 19, 1995 (photo, far SSA employees across thequickly responded to helpvors and the families of vcope with the tragedy.

As of today SSA's 61,31full-time permanent empadminister benefits to mo42 million beneficiaries.



Learnin ast

Avisit to the SSA HistoryRoom on the ground floorof the Altmeyer Building

at headquarters is a step back intime as well as a dynamic view

of the future of SSA.“The History Room holds a

wealth of information importantto our agency and our plans forthe future include updating theexisting displays and organizingthe reams of information we havein our archives,” said SSA Histo-rian Larry Dewitt. “One of mykey goals is to renovate the His-tory Room to make it more dy-namic.”

Larry, who took over the posi-tion of historian in February hasseveral other goals, including-.starting an oral history projectto capture the sense of changethrough the careers of individualemployees;.publishinga book-lengthhistory on SSA highlighting thechanges in program administra-tion, operations and legislation;and

.makingthe history archivesmore accessible and similar to a

reference libraryThe first project for Larry and

Management Analystwas the booklet, A Brief History ofthe Social S ecurity Ad m inistration,

issued on the occasion of SSA’sindependent agency ceremony onMarch 31. Copies of the booklet

are available through the Histo-rian’s Office at Room G-36 Alt-meyer, 6401 Security Blvd.,Baltimore, MD 21235. Copies alsowill be available through stand-

ard ordering procedures, becausethe Office of Communicationsprinted additional copies fordistribution in August to regionalpublic affairs officers, field officesand tefeservice centers.

A tour through the HistoryRoom offers exhibits from thepast to the present. The room wasestablished in 1969 under thedirection of SSA's first historian,Abe Bortz. Memorabilia in the

History Room relating to pioneersocial insurance programs datefrom the 18th and 19th centuries.There are copies of a pamphlet byThomas Paine in 1795 advocatingold-age pensions, and a letter con-cerning a speech made by KaiserWilhelm I to the Reichstag in1881, proposing a program ofsocial legislation.

Much of the collection is fromthe 1930s and focuses on the peo-

ple who administered the earlydays of the program. The collec-tion documents the developmentof ways to satisfy the growingneeds of an aging population andthe resulting legislation and reor-ganization of the agency, empha-sizing changes as the programevolved.

A montage from the 1930sportraying the mood of the natiduring the years of the GreatDepression includes pictures ofthe unemployed, bonus marche

victims of drought, squatters’shacks and soup lines. Dr. FrancTownsend’s plan to provide a flmonthly payment ($200) to allolder citizens is on display, asis a copy of President FranklinRoosevelt’s executive orderestablishing the Committee onEconomic Security. The groupreport became the basis for theSocial Security Act of 1935.

There is a television screen

mounted on the wall that offersa 15-minute video on the historof the program. PresidentRoosevelt’s words as he signedthe Act are preserved on the filmSo are comments of PresidentsLyndon Johnson and Harry Truman at the signing of the Medi-care legislation and PresidentRonald Reagan at the signing othe 1983 Social Security amendments. Also included are Presi-

dent Clinton’s remarks at thesigning ceremony for the inde-pendent agency bill.

The desk used by Social Security Commissioners, from ArthuAltmeyer to Robert Ball, is on dplay It holds Commissioner Altmeyer ' s letter opener, a silvercigarette box he used for paperclips, in- and out-baskets with



documents from the period

a '30s-style telephone.Posters and leaflets were

to explain Social Security topublic, and History Room can see a copy of the first purging people to get Socialrity cards.

Displays also include piof prominent people such aoriginal members of the SoSecurity Board, Presidents Social Security’s inception

Commissioners of Social S“Perhaps the most impoartifacts on display in the SHistory Room,” said Larrythe pens used by PresidentRoosevelt to sign the originSocial Security Act into law‘I935 and by President Johnto sign the Medicare legislin 1965. And, in 1994, PresClinton used the same pen President Roosevelt when hethe independent agency bi

The latest display in the Room depicts the ceremonevents leading up to the crof SSA as an independent

“The History Room wevisitors and tour groups,” said. “Our official visiting are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., ahours will be extended this

“If employees or retireesphotographs or other matthat might be of interest or

able for display, I would bto receive them, either as tions or short-term loans,” added. “We plan to continumodernize, update and refdisplay of artifacts, pictures papers to meet the needs owho have a view of historyan eye on the future of SSA



Reminiscences

(The Social Security program - and the agency that adminis-tered it-was fortunate to attract men and women of characterand vision. A retired employee who remembers two examplesof leadership from the mid-1930s wrote OASIS the following

letter.)

In January 1936, I came aboard as TechnicalAdvisor to the Social Security Board. I want torecollect for present employees some inspiring

examples of honorable public service from that era. John Gilbert Winant, formerly three-time gover-

nor of New Hampshire, was in 1935 the Chairmanof the first Social Security Board. In September 1936,he took his letter of resignation to PresidentRoosevelt in order to be free to defend the SocialSecurity programs against disinformation in thepresidential campaign. President Roosevelt pointedout that, as a political appointee, Winant need notresign to campaign. His response was somethinglike this: “Yes, I know, but the Social Security pro-grams have not been politicized, and I am notgoing to start that.”

Frank Bane of Virginia was the first ExecutiveDirector of the Social Security Board. About the

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same time, he provided us with another exampof withstanding political pressure, although hehad two children about ready for college. One ohis boyhood idols was a senator from his statewhom he had once campaigned for as a college

student.A lady with no professional training had appfor a position in the Bureau of Public AssistanceShe did not meet the position specifications, buwent to the senator to intercede for her. The sencalled his long-time friend, Mr. Bane, to see thatwould be employed. After checking into it, Mr. told the senator that the lady was not eligible foemployment. That so shocked the senator that hwent to the floor of the Senate and had FrankBane’s salary reduced by $500. (That seemed likmore money then.)

These examples of public service inspired us

and set the standards for employees in all thebureaus, including the Bureau of Federal OldAge Benefits.

Maurine Mulliner (Ret.) 9

BULK RATEPOSTAGE & FEES PAID

SOCIAL SECURITYADMINISTRATION

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social security: august1995

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