The SSA Historians

The Historian's Office was created in 1963 when Dr. Abe Bortz came to SSA from the Department of the Army to start a history program for Social Security. For more than 20 years Abe Bortz labored to create an archive of Social Security related materials. He also launched an oral history program, which has recently been revived, and established the History Room at SSA Headquarters to house some of the artifacts associated with Social Security's history. Abe Bortz retired from government service in 1985.

There have been three Historians at SSA since 1985; each has carried on the tradition of scholarship and conservation begun by Abe Bortz.

Abe Bortz
May 1963- January 1985
Abe Bortz examining material from the History Archives.



Sid Leibovitz
January 1985- January 1992
Sid Leibovitz is shown here in the SSA History Room conducting a tour for Secretary of Health & Human Services, Otis Bowen. April 16, 1986.

Bob Reid
January 1992- January 1995
Bob Reid examining some of the equipment used in the early days in the Division of Accounting Operations.

Larry DeWitt
February 1995 - June 2012
Larry DeWitt in his office at SSA headquarters