This year, Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor was selected by his peers as a Social Work Pioneer, recognized nationally by the National Association of Social Workers. Social Work Pioneers are chosen for their contributions to exploring new territories and building outposts of human services across the United States of America. Honorees were recognized at an event in October at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC.

Dr. Kapoor’s legacy of advocacy and peace has stretched across the decades and left an indelible legacy, most notably at Fresno State University, where he spent the last 56 years teaching and inspiring.

Born in Punjab, India, his grandparents, teachers, and Mahatma Gandhi inspired his lifetime approach of non-violent advocacy. “[Gandhi] was a major influence in my life when I was growing up in India, and particularly after his assassination,” Dr. Kapoor shared in an article with Fresno State honoring his achievements. “That he became the victim of violence, that he was preaching nonviolence…that hit me very hard and affected me very much, and his teachings have always been a part of my life.”

He earned a degree from Punjab University (1955) and a master’s degree in social work from Delhi University (1957) before working as the chief organizer for the Gandhi Memorial Trust, an organization dedicated to the development and social transformation through Gandhian social work. He was also involved in the Sarvodaya Movement, a social movement focused on lifting all classes of society, under the leadership of Vinoba Bhave, another Indian nonviolence and human rights advocate, and a close associate of Gandhi.

Dr. Kapoor left India in the 1960s to study at the International Institute for Social Studies in Holland for his training and diploma in social policy and planning. After completing his studies, he wished to learn more about social work in the United States and came to Florida State University to study social work. Dr. Kapoor graduated with his MSW degree in 1964 and completed a doctoral degree in educational leadership in 1968. While at FSU, he met his wife, Veena, who earned her MSW degree (1966) from the College of Social Work.  

After completing their degrees, Dr. Kapoor taught at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education until he traveled to Fresno State University with FSU colleagues and mentors to interview for a position there and stayed for fifty-six years.

He taught social work and community development and was the founder and inaugural director of Fresno State’s Peace and Conflict Studies Program. “We see his legacy – which continues to grow each day – through the work of the students he’s helped to educate and led down a path of committed service to the community,” said Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, president of Fresno State University, in remarks made during the presentation of Dr. Kapoor with a Lifetime Achievement award from Fresno State University.

Dr. Kapoor introduced his students to the philosophies and lessons of Gandhi, Martin Luther, King, Jr. and César Chávez through his teachings. His personal relationship with Chávez led to Chávez presenting a seminar on nonviolence to Dr. Kapoor’s students, who were so motivated by the discussion to advocate for the establishment of Fresno State’s Peace Garden in 1990. The garden is a growing and uplifting part of the university’s campus and now boasts bronze statues commemorating Gandhi, Jane Addams, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Chávez.

“I feel very good that I could be instrumental in having these kinds of things on campus because there’s a kind of legacy I want to leave behind for the future generations of students,” he shared. “These are things that have inspired me given me energy, and I will keep going until my last breath in life. I will continue serving the university and my students.”

Dr. Kapoor’s influence and community involvement went beyond Fresno State’s campus, including service on the Fresno Human Relations Commission and as a founding member of the Fresno Center for Nonviolence. As a member of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Committee since its founding in 1984, Dr. Kapoor has also led an annual march from Fresno City Hall to the Fresno Memorial Auditorium, an event bringing thousands of participants.

His life’s work has been honored with several awards, including the Spirit of Abraham Award from the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Consortium on Peach and Research and Education, a Lifetime Award from the Fresno County Office of Education and the Humanitarian Award from Soka Gakkai International-USW. Most recently, his legacy at Fresno State was honored with a 2022 Top Dog Award and a 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Although showered with appreciation and praise, Dr. Kapoor’s focus remains on making a positive impact on his community and his students.  

“We need to provide more opportunities to [young people] so they are not only speaking, but they are listened to. Their voices need to be heard,” Kapoor said, “And we need to encourage [their dreams]. I tell all my young people, ‘Have a big dream.’ The size of your dream should be so big that you could grow into it.”

Even in retirement, Dr. Kapoor makes himself available to Fresno State as a guest speaker and serves on several university committees. One committee he is spearheading, the Nelson Mandela Project committee, is working to get a full-sized statue of Nelson Mandela in the Peace Garden.