A Professional Legacy: The Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectures in Occupational Therapy 1955-2010

About this book

As its title suggests this book contains a true legacy in the tradition of one of its greatest occupational therapy pioneers Eleanor Clarke Slagle (1876-1942). The American Occupational Therapy Association recognized this pioneers influence by establishing its highest award in her honor in 1953. This compilation presents the 47 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectures and while each stands firm as its own solid example of scholarship when read sequentially they form a unique record of the steady progress and increasing sophistication of occupational therapy. The lectures contain history leadership mentoring encouragement admonishment philosophy and practical guidance. Above all they reflect Slagles vision of the integration of theory philosophy and spirit from which practitioners educators and students can draw inspiration. This reference is organized according to decades and each section is preceded by discussions of what was happening in the world and the United States at that time. After this historical accounting the lectures for the decade are reprinted. Each section closes with a series of suggested learning activities and classroom discussion questions. Although a broader historical and social context is not always evident within individual lectures it becomes apparent when the whole body of work of each honored lecturer is considered. In addition appendixes include biographies and bibliographies for each lecturer as well as bibliographies of world and U.S. history and also occupational therapys history and a list of the presidents of AOTA. The discussion begins with the original Adolph Meyer address honoring Slagle and is completed by linking key messages of the lectures to AOTAs Centennial Vision.