Who She Was
Eleanor Clarke Slagle was a social worker and reformer who helped found the profession of occupational therapy in the early 1900s. She believed that engaging patients in meaningful daily activities, called “habit training,” could help them recover both physically and mentally. Slagle helped establish some of the first occupational therapy training programs in the United States and worked to bring occupational therapy into hospitals and mental health institutions. She later became known as the “Mother of Occupational Therapy” for her lifelong dedication to building the field.
Why She Matters
Slagle's belief that purposeful activity could heal people was ahead of its time, and it remains the foundation of occupational therapy today. She helped turn a new idea into an organized profession with training standards and a professional association that still exists. Her work proved that recovery is not only physical, since staying engaged in meaningful activities supports emotional and mental health too. For young people considering occupational therapy, Slagle's story shows how one person's belief in the power of everyday activity can shape an entire field.
