If there’s one perfect example that social workers can find love and partnership, it’s hard to find a better case than the Hoffmans.

A “social work administrator and therapist,” respectively, Mart and Sue Hoffman (both MSSW ’72) celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on Feb. 3. They’ve been leaders in social work practice, mentors to countless young people, teachers of marriage courses for more than 30 years, parents of two children — one of which also graduated from the School of Social Work — and they still find time to serve Texans to this day.

“We just keep find interesting things to do!” Sue says with confidence.

As Mart and Sue reflect on 58 years of marriage and social work service, they shared wisdom with UT Social Work on how they found love, maintained it, and made sure to impact lives along the way.

Finding Love

Sue and Mart first met at SMU, when both were taking undergraduate classes. Sue had moved into a new dorm, and Mart immediately took notice.

“I saw her at the door, and I asked the dorm counselor, ‘Now, who is that?’ and asked if I could get set up with her,” said Mart. “Well, on the weekend I had a blind date with her; my friend had a blind date with her on Friday.”

Mart explained that his friend took Sue to the theatre and had an elegant dinner out — a stark comparison to his first date of riding in a ’65 Mustang and “roasting hot dogs and drinking cheap wine” at the lake.

“Turns out she liked the outdoors,” Mart said. “And we’ve been dating about at least once a week ever since.”

“I saw his excellent values then, and I still see them today,” Sue said.

The couple married in 1968, not long after they graduated from SMU. Mart would go on to start seminary school at Perkins Seminary while Sue was turning her dual degree in biology and German into a teaching career. However, Mart didn’t see being a preacher as his future.

He then began employment with the Salesmanship Club Boy’s Camp of Dallas, where he led the Adventure Trails Program. The program took him out on extended camping trips with young men, mentoring them while adjusting to difficult terrains and trails. Under Mart’s guidance, the program expanded and developed, ultimately leading to the birth of a women’s Adventure Trails Program, which Sue had a significant role in building. Importantly though, they discovered through the program a line of work that was built for both of them: social work.

“We were teaching social skills and how students could succeed,” Sue said. “I realized that was what I wanted to do.”

“Those ‘evil’ social workers got me,” Mart wisecracked, “all because they were teaching me how to work with young people and how to help them solve problems.”

Sue and Martin Hoffman’s UT story was first featured in an article in the Dallas Times Herald, which ran on Oct. 7, 1972. (Photo courtesy of Sue & Mart Hoffman)

UT Social Work

Fast forward a few short years later, and the Hoffmans were ready to make a move. Through a months-long scholarship program with the Salesmanship Club, Mart had saved up $4,200 to potentially go back to school. Sue, meanwhile, earned a similarly sized grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (which took just one letter compared to his months of work, as Mart points out with a laugh).

They had visited Austin at the recommendation of a mentor and met with leaders at the School of Social Work and the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. Both quickly realized  they were going to be Longhorns.

They took their funding to The University of Texas at Austin, and both enrolled in the graduate program at the School of Social Work. It was a major counter-cultural moment for both, as they witnessed Vietnam War protests and “tie-dye wearing” students in classes, a stark but welcomed difference from their experience in Dallas.

They would enroll in classes like social welfare and social issues and take practicums in elementary schools and mental health centers. With their experiences in Austin, the lessons they learned, and with the individuals they would meet, a new life was open to them both.

“Those degrees were launchpads,” both Mart and Sue said. “Without it, the doors we walked through never would have been opened.”

A Career in Service

One of those doors that opened for Mart and Sue included meeting Ron Jackson, another UT Social Work alum. Jackson was appointed as executive director of the Texas Youth Commission at age 32, making him the youngest executive director of any Texas state agency at the time. He would have a long-running collaboration with Mart and Sue, providing opportunities in Brownwood and Austin and beyond.

Mart would serve as a superintendent for the Texas Youth Commission and later as a licensed elementary school teacher at a Title 1 school. Sue served for 25 years as a private practice therapist and retired in 2011.

Neither stayed idle in retirement, however. They went on to establish Capital City Village, a non-profit organization designed to reduce isolation for seniors and improve aging-in-place processes for older adults.

The organization works closely with UT Social Work’s GRACE Program, which allows students in practicum to work in settings serving gerontology and aging interests. Sue (and Mart on one notable occasion when Sue was recovering from breast cancer) has hosted social work interns for 15 years, and her service was recently recognized by UT Social Work with the Lifetime Achievement Award in practicum instruction.

They’ve continued to serve in mentorship to UT Social Work students and enthusiastically support the development of more social workers in the State of Texas. Their mentorship is “a joy” in their lives and they regularly seek ways to help out students with new experiences.

“We’re so proud of the growth at the school,” said Sue. “The program has improved 10-fold with the quality of teachers, instructors and leaders. We love working with UT students, and we love serving our school.”

“We’re blessed and fortunate, and we’ve gotten back far more than we’ve given,” said Mart.

A Bit of Advice

At the end of the conversation, Sue and Mart were given a chance to give a piece of marriage advice to future Longhorn valentines.

Sue advised that “a good relationship is 80% maintenance,” where couples should do fun things, and keep their interests, but maintain your marriage by being pleasant and being kind to each other.

Mart agreed and noted that “you’re gonna have to listen, and be okay to forgive” for the length of the relationship.

“And be sure to finish college,” he finished. “Because that’s going to be your ticket to the world.”