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Abstract: This article deals with philanthropic views of the last third of the 19th century, which have influenced making up of the world-view of Mary Richmond, the leader of the USA individually oriented social work (1861-1928). The author reveals Mary Richmond’s role in transformation of the charitable principle of social aid in the USA, having led to forming of the social work as a science, a professional field and a system of professional disciplines. The essence of the concept of professional education of American social workers of Mary Richmond is formulated in this article. The results of investigation suggest that Mary Richmond’s views had been moulding under the influence of ideas of philanthropy and charity. Her views had been developing and modifying and thereby having continued to influence her idea of goals and objectives of the professional education. The principal direction of development of Mary Richmond’s views in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was scientific explanation of the social work as a profession, formation of theoretical and practical base of case-work, creation of an individual case archives, identification of social work failures, and determination of a new status of social and pedagogical activities based on realisation of the professional education concept of a social worker.