This study examined acknowledgment pages from 441 dissertations in a prominent school of social work to identify transformations in personal, professional, and sociopolitical aspects of professional doctoral education. Explored reflections on the transition from student to scholar, the structure and nature of mentoring roles, and the influence of shifts in substantive emphases since the program's inception in 1950. Findings support knowledge about the complex processes of career transitions and professional knowledge development. (Contains 63 references.) (EV)