ARCHIVES CORNER
ARCHIVES COMMITTEE CHAIRS – KATHY PREISSNER , EDD , OTR / L , FAOTA , ASHLEY STOFFEL , OTD , OTR / L , FAOTA , STEVEN TAYLOR , OTD , OTR / L
Eleanor Clarke Slagle is well known by occupational therapy practitioners as a social worker who helped pioneer the profession of occupational therapy . Her many accomplishments include developing and directing the Henry B . Favill School of Occupations during its short but highly influential existence from 1915 to 1920 , as well as being one of the founders of what is now known as the American Occupational Therapy Association .
In this Archives Corner piece , we thought it would be interesting to share some lesser-known facts about the so-called “ Mother of Occupational Therapy .”
• Eleanor Clarke Slagle was born on October 13th , 1868 and lived to be 73 . ( Find a Grave , 2022 )
Eleanor Clarke Slagle ’ s Headstone
• In her early years , she went by the name of Ella May Clarke . ( Find a Grave , 2022 )
• She had one sibling , John Davenport Clarke , who was a US congressman . ( Find a Grave , 2022 )
• Her Father was an officer in the American Civil War and “ may have been left partially disabled by a neck wound .” ( Wikipedia , 2022 )
• She married Robert E . Slagle , who was the son of a reverend . They had planned to live in Chicago but they lived in St . Louis . ( Find a Grave , 2022 )
• She did not become involved in social reform until she was almost 40 years old . ( Encyopedia . com , 2022 )
• After the death of her father , Slagle ’ s mother was elected to serve in congress to fill the vacancy . She served from 1933-1935 . ( Find a Grave , 2022 )
• During her retirement dinner , Eleanor Roosevelt paid tribute to the renowned occupational therapist . Her mentor , Dr . Adolph Meyer , referred to her as " the personification of occupational therapy ." ( Encyclopedia . com , 2022 )
Clarke Family Gravestone
• Slagle died of a coronary thrombosis in Philipse Manor , New York and is buried with her parents and brother in Locust Hill Cemetery in Hobart , New York . ( Find a Grave , Encyclopedia . com )
19 Illinois Occupational Therapy Association | 2022 ISSUE 1