The creation of the Higher Institute Bissaya Barreto is part of a context strongly associated to the strong dynamism impressed by his patron to the social area and in particular to the fields of culture, education and child protection. In Coimbra, Bissaya Barreto (1886-1974) took the initiative to create in 1936 a working group that would come to occupy the nest Little Ones and other works of nature counterpart. However, noting the fact that the guiding sociomedical knowledge this action is showed lacunar, Professor supported the initiative to establish, in 1937, the Social Normal School of Coimbra (who later would designate by the Institute of Coimbra Social Services ), two years after the creation of the School of Social Service Lisbon, contributing decisively to the development of the profession of social worker.