From Kentucky to Tokyo: A Social Work Alumna’s Legacy

LEXINGTON, Ky. — At 93 years old, Pat Givens can trace the impact of her life’s work across decades, cultures, and continents. A proud graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW), her legacy stands as a testament to the quiet power of social work—not only as a profession, but as a lifelong practice of listening, bridging, and understanding.

Givens’ path to Kentucky began far from the Bluegrass. Living with her family in South Dakota at the time, she chose UK because of her father, a proud College of Agriculture alumnus, who had long dreamed his daughter would return to his alma mater.

“I think my first semester I just signed up for whatever I had to pass on,” she said, laughing. “But social work was about the only thing that was me all over. It’s about understanding people better, helping where I can—and I’ve always loved to travel. It helped me fit into the many places I’ve been able to live.”

Givens arrived at UK in the early 1950s, a time when the social work program was small—just 8 to 10 students in her freshman class—but deeply formative. She recalls feeling immediately at home, surrounded by peers and faculty who saw and supported her.

One of those figures was Dr. Herold Wetzel, then-dean of the College of Social Work, whom Givens remembers as “loving and kind.” Another was Sarah (Bennett) Holmes, dean of women, who was known for her dedication to the rights and welfare of women students on campus.

“I always felt like I fit in,” Givens said. “That might be one of UK’s great strengths: it helps people feel like they belong.”

But her journey didn’t stop in Lexington.

During her junior year, she met a young military officer—her future husband—and after he passed the Foreign Service exam, the couple moved to Tokyo, Japan. For Givens, the transition wasn’t just geographic; it marked the beginning of a life shaped by international service and cultural diplomacy.

While in Japan, Givens worked with International Social Service (ISS), a postwar organization dedicated to child welfare, protection, and family reunification. Her role included interviewing U.S. military families interested in adoption and supporting Korean and Japanese mothers—many of whom had been separated from U.S. servicemen following the Korean War—as they sought adoptive families for their children.

“I can remember 3 or 4 times when there was no place to take this baby,” she said. “So, I would bring them home with me until I found them a permanent family.”

The work was rewarding, emotional, and urgent. At a time of intense geopolitical tension, Givens quietly built bridges—family by family, story by story. Her role required compassion, discretion, and a deep sensitivity to the nuances of identity, loss, and belonging.

“It really was a wonderful time,” she recalled smiling. “During that time, I also had a few kids of my own, so there were a lot of children around. I really enjoyed that.”

After returning to the United States, Givens continued her work as a cultural bridge-builder. In the early 1980s, she served as Director of the Japan Society of Boston, during a time when Japan’s rapid economic and technological ascent drew intense interest from American industry and policymakers.

Recognizing her unique perspective and cross-cultural expertise, leaders from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts later invited her to help guide the state’s economic development efforts in Asia—particularly Japan.

“I’m not a businessperson,” she admitted. “But they thought I would be a good person to help develop business opportunities between Japan and the state. During the seven years I served in that role, I went to Japan 29 times.”

During that time, she also formed a friendship with Masako Owada, then a Harvard student and now the current Empress of Japan.

In honor of her extraordinary work in strengthening U.S.–Japan relations, Givens received the Decoration Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Government of Japan—one of the highest honors awarded for exceptional contributions to bilateral diplomacy.

Still, Givens frames her life not through accolades, but through values.

“I’ve always had a desire to understand people,” she said. “Even people I don’t always get along with. That’s what we need now. More global understanding. We might not always call it social work, but that’s what it is.”

In every chapter of her story, Patricia Givens embodies the spirit of social work—not as a job title, but as a way of being. From postwar Tokyo to policymaking circles in Massachusetts, she moved through the world as a connector: of people, cultures, and ideas.

“Don’t rely on screens to understand each other,” she added as a piece of advice. “Meet face to face. Talk to each other. That’s how we build a better world.”

Her story is a reminder that social work doesn’t begin or end at the office door. It lives in every moment someone chooses to listen, to learn, and to take action in service of others.

And in that way, her legacy isn’t just global—it’s timeless.