Washington University established a training program in occupational therapy in 1938 funded by a $200,000 donation from Rachel Stix Michael. In 1945, the St. Louis School for Occupational Therapy, which had been in existence since 1918, merged with the training program at Washington University. At that time, the School of Medicine’s Division of Auxiliary Medical Services administrated the training in occupational therapy, leading to a Bachelor of Science degree. The graduate program began in 1977 to provide advanced training in practice and research. In October 1988, the academic program and clinical service joined to form the Program in Occupational Therapy.

The collection documents both the Washington University Program in Occupational Therapy, and its predecessor, the St. Louis School of Occupational Therapy.

The collection also has materials from the Program in Occupational Therapy’s involvement with the multi-institution grant-funded training program CORRT (Comprehensive Opportunities in Rehabilitation Research Training) – a Multicenter Career Development Program for Physical and Occupational Therapists funded by the National Center Medical Rehabilitation Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development / National Institute Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health. CORRT is a collective effort of multiple universities and their faculty to assist new investigators in acquiring the research skills necessary to become independent investigators in rehabilitation approaches.