Helen S. Willard

Helen S. Willard
A young white woman wearing a white dress; her hair is parted center and dressed back from her face
Helen S. Willard, from the 1915 yearbook of Wellesley College
BornJanuary 22, 1894
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedJune 8, 1980 (age 86)
Doylestown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationOccupational therapist
Notable workPrinciples of Occupational Therapy (1947)

Helen Smith Willard (January 22, 1894 – June 8, 1980) was an American occupational therapist and college professor. She was a professor of occupational therapy at the University of Pennsylvania, and co-authored Principles of Occupational Therapy (1947), an important textbook in the field. She was president of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) from 1958 to 1961.

Early life and education

Willard was born in Stamford, Connecticut, the daughter of Everett Chickering Willard and Charlotte Elvira Smith Willard. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1915.[1][2] She trained as a physical therapist at Brigham Hospital in Boston.[3] She qualified as an occupational therapist in 1922.[4]

Career

Willard became director of the Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy in 1935. The school became part of the University of Pennsylvania in 1950.[5] In 1952 she helped to found the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.[6] In 1954 she was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania.[7] She was president of the American Occupational Therapy Association from 1958 to 1961. She retired as an emeritus professor in 1964.[3]

With her colleague and co-author Clare S. Spackman,[4] Willard traveled to Nagpur in 1960, to speak at a meeting of the All-Indian Association of Occupational Therapists.[8]

Publications

  • "Occupational Therapy: A New Profession" (1939)[9]
  • "Occupational Therapy as a Vocation" (1942)[10]
  • "Salvaging the Nation's Man Power" (1942)[11]
  • Principles of Occupational Therapy (1947, with Clare S. Spackman)[12]

Personal life and legacy

Spackman and Helen S. Willard lived together, and shared a summer residence in Vermont.[4] Willard died in 1980, at the age of 86, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In 1981, the AOTA established the Helen S. Willard Scholarship in her memory.[13] In 2017, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the field of occupational therapy.[14]

References

  1. ^ Wellesley College, Legenda (1915 yearbook): 176.
  2. ^ "Elections at Wellesley". The Boston Globe. 1914-05-21. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-04-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Helen Willard". The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 34 (8): 497–497. 1980-08-01. doi:10.5014/ajot.34.8.497. ISSN 0272-9490.
  4. ^ a b c Mahoney, Wanda J.; Peters, Christine O.; Martin, Peggy M. (2017). "Willard and Spackman's Enduring Legacy for Future Occupational Therapy Pathways". The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 71 (1): 7101100020p1–7101100020p7. doi:10.5014/ajot.2017.023994. ISSN 0272-9490. PMID 28027033.
  5. ^ "Dr. Hutchinson to Head New U. of P. Medical Unit". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1950-07-02. p. 16. Retrieved 2024-04-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Spackman, Clare S. (2010-08-27). "The World Federation of Occupational Therapists: 1952-1967". Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 16 (4): 35–47. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1630.1969.tb00366.x.
  7. ^ "Gold Medals for 10 Pennsylvania Women". The Morning Call. 1954-10-06. p. 22. Retrieved 2024-04-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Traveling". Philadelphia Daily News. 1960-07-11. p. 16. Retrieved 2024-04-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Willard, Helen S. (January 1939). "Occupational Therapy—A New Profession". Occupations: The Vocational Guidance Journal. 17 (4): 293–298. doi:10.1002/j.2164-5892.1939.tb00452.x. ISSN 2164-5841.
  10. ^ Willard, Helen S. (November 1942). "Occupational Therapy as a Vocation". Occupations: The Vocational Guidance Journal. 21 (3): 208–213. doi:10.1002/j.2164-5892.1942.tb01940.x. ISSN 2164-5841.
  11. ^ Willard, Helen S. (1942-10-01). "Salvaging the Nation's Man Power". Military Medicine. 91 (4): 416–418. doi:10.1093/milmed/91.4.416. ISSN 0096-6827.
  12. ^ Willard, Helen S. (1983). Willard and Spackman's Occupational Therapy. Lippincott. ISBN 978-0-397-54361-8.
  13. ^ "New Graduate Student Scholarships: Helen S. Willard Scholarship Fund". The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 35 (9): 599–599. 1981-09-01. doi:10.5014/ajot.35.9.599. ISSN 0272-9490.
  14. ^ "100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy: Helen Willard, BS, OTR, FAOTA". www.otcentennial.org. Retrieved 2024-04-03.