Oral History Project

Maryland OT Association & Towson University: Prominent OTs in Maryland's History

• This site includes important dates in OT's history, particularly in Maryland. If you scroll mid-way down the site, you will find information of 22 interview synopses with OT leaders who were selected by the History Committee for their significant contributions to OT in Maryland. The History Committee of the Maryland History Project worked in collaboration with Towson University to complete oral histories with the occupational therapists selected by the committee.

OT L&LS Interviews of Leaders and Transcriptions

The following interviews were conducted with OT L&LS members and other recognized leaders in the profession to obtain their perspectives about their professional trajectory, extensive career in occupational therapy, and lasting contributions to the field. 

NOTE: To ensure ability to play complete audio files, please download the recorded interview files to play with your computer's default audio player as opposed to playing the file through Google Drive.

• Beatriz Abreu Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). Read Abreu's 2011 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Accentuate the positive: Reflections on empathic interpersonal interactions.

• Lori Andersen Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). To learn more about Lori's work to increase knowledge about the life of Eleanor Clarke Slagle and honor and preserve Slagle's legacy as a founder of occupational therapy, see https://www.facebook.com/Mrs.EleanorClarkeSlagle/.

• Diana Bailey Recording (Interviewed by Ellen Rainville)

• Felecia Banks Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Felecia's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Carolyn Baum Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). Read Baum's 1980 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Occupational therapists put care in the health system.

• Esther Bell Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). View Esther's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Jerry Bentley Transcript* (Part 1) and Audio Recording (Part 2) (Interviewed by Janet DeLany)
  *Due to audio quality, the first part of Jerry's interview is posted as a written transcript, and the remainder of the interview is posted as the audio file.

• Teresa Black Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Teri's OTL&LS membership bio here. 

• Bette Bonder Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Brent Braveman Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Brent's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Ann Burkhardt Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Charles Christiansen Recording (Interviewed by Penny Kyler). Read Christiansen's 1999 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Defining lives: Occupation as identity: An essay on competence, coherence, and the creation of meaning. View Charles' OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Jeffrey Crabtree Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Jeffrey's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Patricia Crist Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Janet DeLany Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Janet's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Anne Dickerson Recording (Interviewed by Christine Hischmann)

• Mary Donohue Recording (Interviewed by Kristi Haertl)

• Kathryn Eberhardt Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Kathryn's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Wimberly Edwards Recording and Interview Transcript (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). See the NYSOTA News article about Wimberly Edwards' Retirement from York College (1999). See the Amsterdam News article celebrating Wimberly's 90th birthday.

• Melanie Ellexson Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). Read Ellexson's In Memoriam in The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy.

• Cynthia Epstein Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). Read Epstein's In Memoriam in OT Practice (AOTA is the copyright holder and this cannot be duplicated/shared without permission from the AOTA).

• Rhoda Erhardt Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). Read about the Rhoda P. Erhardt Endowed Scholarship Fund established by Rhoda's family to support OT students who demonstrate commitment to enter pediatric practice. See Erhardt's MOTA poster on Aging in Place.

• Mary Evert Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Janet Falk-Kessler Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). View Kathryn's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Thomas Fisher Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Thom's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Paul Fontana Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Paul's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Frank Gainer Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy)

• Susan Garber Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). Read Garber's 2016 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: The prepared mind. View Susan's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Bryan Gee Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Bryan's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Nedra Gillette Recording (Interviewed by Susan Robertson)

• Yolanda Griffiths Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Yolanda's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Meredith Gronski Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Kristi Haertl Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). Read the transcript of Frank Stein's Salute to OT Pioneers interview with Haertl at 20Q: Interview with a Holistic and Compassionate Care Educator.

• Susan Haiman Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy)

• Sandy Hanebrink Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Christine Helfrich Recording (Interviewed by Allison Sullivan)

• Margo Holm Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). Read Holm's 2000 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Our mandate for the new millennium: Evidence-based practice.

• Cynthia Hughes Harris Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Jackie Hurt Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Jackie's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Satoru Izutsu Recording and Interview Transcript (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Satoru's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Shirley Jackson-Jackson Recording (Interviewed by Janet DeLany)

• Karen Jacobs Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). Read Jacobs' 2012 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: PromOTing occupational therapy: Words, images, and actions. Read the transcript of Frank Stein's Salute to OT Pioneers interview with Jacobs at 20Q: Interview with a Leader in Ergonomics.

• André Johnson Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View André's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Robin Jones Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Robin's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Judith Kimball Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Ellen Kolodner Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Ellen's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Penny Kyler Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy)

• Joyce Lane Recording (Interviewed by Riqiea Kitchens)

• Barbara Larson Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Patti LaVesser Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Lindsey Lawrence Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Valnere McLean Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• David Merlo Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Lucy Miller Video (Part 1) and Video (Part 2) Recording (Interviewed by Moya Kinnealey). View Lucy's CV, PowerPoint slides to describe her work (prepared as a Buehler Award recipient), and bibliography of her work.

• Rivka Molinsky Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Rivka's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Suzanne Peloquin Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). Read Peloquin's 2005 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Embracing our ethos: Reclaiming our heart.

• Elizabeth Peterson Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Michael Pizzi Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Michael's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Antje Price Recording (Interviewed by Cathy Dolhi). This interview was originally recorded for the AOTA Centennial History Project called the OTArchive. The AOTA has provided access to this interview to archive in our Oral History project.

• Rachel Proffitt Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Kathlyn Reed Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). Read Reed's 1986 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Tools of practice: Heritage or baggage? Read Reed's profile in the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy and the transcript of Frank Stein's Salute to OT Pioneers interview with Reed at 20Q: Interview with an OT Scholar and Historian. View Kathlyn's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Nancy Richman Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Susan Robertson Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy)

• Judi Rogers Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Judi's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Mona Sams Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Anne Hiller Scott Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). View Anne's membership bio here. 

• Bobbie Cummings Smith Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). See the Battle Creek Shopper News article about Bobbie Cummings Smith, the B.C. woman who made Black history in her field (2021).

• Franklin Stein Recording and Interview Transcript (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Frank's membership bio here. See a commemerative editorial on The Legacy of Franklin Stein (2016).

• Regena Stevens-Ratchford Recording (Interviewed by Janet DeLany)

• Linda Tickle-Degnen Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Janice Tona Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Pam Toto Recording (Interview by Beverly Horowitz). View Pam's OTL&LS membership bio here.

• Catherine Trombly Recording (Interviewed by Rita Fleming-Castaldy). Read Trombly's 1997 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Occupation: Purposefulness and meaningfulness as therapeutic mechanisms.

• Amber Ward Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Mary Warren Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz)

• Shirley Wells Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). In 2024, Dr. Wells was the first recipient of the AOTA Dr. Lela A. Llorens Award of Excellence for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion award. This award was established in 2023 to pay tribute to Dr. Lela A. Llorens, an occupational therapy pioneer well known throughout the profession for her rich contributions as a clinician, scholar, researcher, educator, and administrator. The purpose of the Lela A. Llorens Award is to honor a member of AOTA who has utilized Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIJAB) principles to address the needs of marginalized, under-resourced, and/or underrepresented persons, groups, and populations. Click here for the AOTA's announcement of Dr. Well's award. Click the links to view a video of the award being introduced and presented to Dr. Wells or written transcripts of Dr. Llorens’ remarks when she presented this award to Dr. Wells and Dr. Wells’ remarks when she accepted the award.

• Col Arthur Yeager Recording (Interviewed by Beverly Horowitz). View Arthur's OTL&LS membership bio here.

Texas Occupational Therapy Association Diversity Equity and Inclusion Adhoc Committee

TOTA’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Adhoc Committee recognized TOTA members’ contributions to our profession and TOTA.  They were asked to share how their heritage impacts their service as an occupational therapy practitioner and their service to OT consumers.

• Margarette Shelton, OTR, PhD, LMT
  Interviewed June 13, 2022 by Judith Joseph, OT, MA
  Purpose: DEI Pride Month 2022

• Bill Laycock, OTR
  Interviewed June 9, 2022 by Judith Joseph, OT, MA
  Purpose: DEI Pride Month 2022

• Dorit Aaron, OTR, MA, CHT, FAOTA
  Interviewed May 25, 2022 by Judith Joseph, OT, MA
  Purpose: Jewish American Heritage Month 2022

• Richard Cheng, JD, OT, CHC
  Interviewed May 18, 2022 by Jason Stark, OT, MHA
  Purpose: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2022

• Gwen Cherry, OT
  Interviewed February 13, 2022 by Judith Joseph, OTR, MA
  Purpose: Black History Month 2022

• Lauro Munoz, OTR, FAOTA
  Interviewed September 24, 2021 by Judith Joseph, OTR, MA
  Purpose: National Hispanic Heritage Month

The University of Scranton OTArchive Interviews

The following interviews of occupational therapy leaders were completed by University of Scranton graduate students and recorded for the AOTA Centennial History Project called the OTArchive. The AOTA has provided the OT L&LS access to these interviews. Each interviewed leader was a recognized expert in the specified area. Thus, the interviews include specific content-focused questions along with general ones. All but four were completed as a component of a graduate capstone historical research project that critically examined a self-selected topic from the profession’s inception to the present. For more information about this historical research project, see Fleming-Castaldy, R. P. (2018). Developing occupational therapy students’ information and historical literacy competencies: An inter-professional collaborative project. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 106, 340-351. doi: 10/5195/jmla.2018.332

• Jeanette Bair-Tribby Recording (Interviewed by Niki Ioannou and Cassidy Hollander) on the topic of AOTA

• Tina Barth Recording (Interviewed by Victoria Giamella) on the topic of OT mental health practice with people who are homeless

• Brent Braveman Recording (Interviewed by Sarah Morrill) on the topic of social justice and disability rights

• Estelle Breines Recording (Interviewed by Kasey Fitzgerald) on the topic of occupation-based practice. Dr. Breines memoir is available at Brooklyn Roots: A Tale of Pickles and Egg Creams (Amazon books). Read Breines' In Memoriam in Dignity Memorial.

• Mary Ellen Buning Recording (Interviewed by Amy Trent) on the topic of functional mobility enabling participation

• Janice Burke Recording (Interviewed by Kelly Simon) on the topic of occupation-based practice. Read Burke's 2010 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: What's going on here? Deconstructing the interactive encounter. 

• Marion Conneen Recording (Interviewed by Megan McCallister) on the topic of moral treatment

• Betty Cornelius Recording

• Betty Cox Recording (Interviewed by Meghan Erwin) on the topic of COTAs

• Col. Bonnie DeMars Recording (Interviewed by Christina Gavalas) on the topic of the AMSC

• Mary Evert Recording (Interviewed by Megan Zimmerman) on the topic of the WFOT

• Lisa Ann Fagan Recording (Interviewed by Genevieve Francis) on the topic of adaptive equipment

• Denise Finch Recording (Interviewed by Samantha Kintzly) on the topic of vocational rehabilitation

• Sue Fine Recording (Interviewed by Liviana Sacco) on the topic of moral treatment. Read Fine's 1991 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Resilience and human adaptability: Who rises above adversity?

• Paul Fontana Recording (Interviewed by Chelsea Blair) on the topic of vocational rehabilitation

• Frank Gainer Recording (Interviewed by Rachel Cisto) on the topic of amputations

• Tony Gentry Recording (Interviewed by Elizabeth Masci) on the topic of adaptive equipment

• Glen Gillen Recording (Interviewed by Katie Leithauser) on the topic of theory-based practice. Read Gillen's 2013 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: A fork in the road: An occupational hazard.

• Nedra Gillette Recording (Interviewed by Christina Gavalas)

• Naomi Greenberg Recording (Interviewed by Brianne Hooper) on the topic of COTA history

• Mariann Gross Recording (Interviewed by Emily Zuckerman) on the topic of dementia

• Jim Hinojosa Recording (Interviewed by Beth Schoen) on the topic of assessments. Read Hinojosa's 2007 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Becoming innovators in an era of hyperchange. Read Hinojosa's 2017 article, How Society’s Philosophy Has Shaped Occupational Therapy Practice for the Past 100 Years.

• Margo Holm Recording (Interviewed by Danielle Jakubik) on the topic of OT with persons with dementia and neurocognitive disorders. Read Holm's 2000 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Our mandate for the new millennium: Evidence-based practice.

• Robin Jones Recording (Interviewed by Elizabeth Zimmerman) on the topic of COTAs and assistive technology

• Paula Kramer Recording (Interviewed by Niki Ioannoi) on the topic of the AOTA

• Kathryn Loukas Recording (Interviewed by Alex Bernardin) on the topic of feminism

• Danielle MacCourtney Recording (Interviewed by Andrew Candela and Genevieve Francis) on the topic of adaptive equipment

• Lisa Mahaffey Recording (Interviewed by Kaitlyn Rau) on the topic of behavior managment and the social model of disability

• Kristen Maisano Recording (Interviewed by Charlotte Banzhof) on the topic of OT's role with Veterans and PTSD

• Kathleen Matuska Recording (Interviewed by Christina Gavalas) on the topic of life balance and quality of life

• Lucy Miller Recording (Interviewed by Ellen Huvane) on the topic of sensory integration therapy

• Karen Moore Recording (Interviewed by Emily Subers) on the topic of sensory processing

• Marlene Morgan Recording (Interviewed by Natalie Movsesian) on the topic of adaptive equipment

• Dawn Nilsen Recording (Interviewed by Stephanie Voith) on the topic of theory-based practice

• Laurie Olson Recording (Interviewed by Bridget Pawlowski) on the topic of sensory processing

• Anita Perr Recording (Interviewed by Morgan Malishchak) on the topic of adaptive equipment

• Antje Price Recording (Interviewed by Abbey Kennedy) on the topic of feminism within the profession

• Cordie Puttkammer Recording and Interview Transcript (Interviewed by Christina Gavalas) on the topic of U.S. legislation and its impact on OT practice

• Mary Vining Radomski Recording (Interviewed by Meredith Miller) on the topic of amputations

• Emily Raphael-Greenfield Recording (Interviewed by Katherine Fields) on the topic of mental health homelessness and stigma

• Carol Reinson Recording (Interviewed by Alyssa Degurski) on the topic of pediatrics

• Fred Sammons Recording (Interviewed by Alyssa Cheng) on the topic of adaptive equipment. Read the transcript of Frank Stein's Salute to OT Pioneers interview with Sammons at 20Q: Interview with an Adaptive Equipment Pioneer.

• Roseann Schaaf Recording (Interviewed by Colleen Kelly) on the topic of sensory integration therapy

• Sarah Schoen Recording (Interviewed by Ellen Huvane) on the topic of sensory integration therapy

• Frank Stein Recording (Interviewed by Jamie Torre) on the topic of the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) and social justice

• Roy Swift Recording (Interviewed by Emily Pearce) on the topic of Army Medical Specialists

• Teresa Tisdell Recording (Interviewed by Jessica DeCraene) on the topic of functional mobility enabling participation

• Catherine Trombly-Latham Recording (Interviewed by Beth Schoen and Stephanie Skurski) on the topic of occupational therapy assessments. Read Trombly's 1997 Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Occupation: Purposefulness and meaningfulness as therapeutic mechanisms.

• Karen Vance Recording (Interviewed by Melinie Gonzales) on the topic of home-based care

• Mary Warren Recording (Interviewed by Marjorie Toron) on the topic of low vision

• Elsa Zavoda Recording (Interviewed by Christina Gavalas) on the topic of low vision

Tuskegee University

• Marie Moore Lyles, MS, OTR: Tuskegee Legacies

• Marie Moore Lyles, MS, OTR: OTArchive Oral History. Ms. Marie Moore Lyles is the founding program director of the occupational therapy program at Tuskegee University. This interview was completed Dr. Gwendolyn Gray for the AOTA Centennial History Project called the OTArchive. The AOTA has provided access to this interview for educational purposes.

Salute to the OT Pioneers Series

• The Salute to the OT Pioneers series is a continuing education resource developed and delivered by OccupationalTherapy.com that includes interviews with over a dozen leaders in the field which have been conducted by OT L&LS member Franklin Stein, OTR/L, PhD, FAOTA. OccupationalTherapy.com has provided the OT L&LS free access to the transcripts of the "20Q with Franklin Stein" interview articles. Leaders interviewed include Caroline Baum, Michael Iwama, Charlotte Royeen, Fred Sammons, and OT L&LS members Kristine Haertl, Karen Jacobs, Barbara Kornblau, and Kathlyn (Kitty) Reed.
  Note: To earn CEUs for these articles, OT L&LS members can join OccupationalTherapy.com. OT L&LS members can use the promo code OTLLS21 to receive a bonus membership month and have 13 months of unlimited CEU access for $99. 

The University of St. Augustine's Tea with a Scholar with Lela Llorens

• Lela Llorens - Engaging in Occupations: A 100 Year Legacy and transcript. Read 1969 Llorens' Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture: Facilitating growth and development: The promise of occupational therapy.
  In 2023, the AOTA established the Dr. Lela A. Llorens Award of Excellence for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion award to pay tribute to Dr. Lela A. Llorens' rich contributions as a clinician, scholar, researcher, educator, and administrator to the profession. The award's purpose is to honor a member of AOTA who has utilized Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIJAB) principles to address the needs of marginalized, under-resourced, and/or underrepresented persons, groups, and populations. Click here for Dr. Llorens’ Acceptance Remarks for the Honor of the Inception of the Dr. Lela A. Llorens Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The award was first presented in 2024 to Dr. Shirley Wells. Click the links to view a video of the award being introduced and presented to Dr. Wells or written transcripts of Dr. Llorens’ remarks when she presented this award to Dr. Wells and Dr. Wells’ remarks when she accepted the award.