Guide to the Archives of the

The original hardcopy of this guide was prepared by Inci Bowman,

Wilma L. West Library

4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box 31220

Bethesda, MD 20814

Tel (301) 652-6611, ext. 2558

Fax (301) 656-3620

wlwlib@aotf.org

www.aotf.org
If you are communicating correction(s) please include relevant page(s) and section number(s).
DESCRIPTION OF SERIES
Series 1 – Founders and Early History. The bulk of this archival group consists of the William R. Dunton Papers, extending over five decades. Also of interest are the records of the National Society of the Promotion of Occupational Therapy (NSPOT); materials relating to Eleanor C. Slagle. George E. Barton, Thomas B. Kidner, Herbert J. Hall, and other officers of NSPOT; and files on reconstruction aides, including two scrapbooks.
Series 2 – Bylaws and Revisions. Constitutions and bylaws of the American Occupational Therapy Association as well as the related correspondence are included in this series.
Series 3 – Board of Management. This series contains minutes of meetings and reports submitted to the Board, arranged chronologically.
Series 4 – Delegates. Subseries 4.1 includes the records of the House of Delegates (Pre-1965) and Subseries 4.2 includes the records of the Delegates Assembly (Post-1965). The correspondence and reports of the various committees of these respective bodies are also contained in this archival group.
Series 5 – National Office Staff. The records generated by the National Office staff constitute the largest group, occupying nine linear feet of shelf space. Major subgroups

are the correspondence of executive directors (E.C. Slagle, M.R. Cobb. W.L. West. M. Fish, F. Helmig, H. Tiebel. L.C. Fanning); correspondence of presidents W.L. West, R.W. Brunyate, F. Cromwell, J.A. Johnson); reports of executive directors; financial records of AOTA; records of the offices of education, public information. government and legal affairs; material relating to American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF); correspondence and reports of consultants; and WW II materials. It must be noted that the correspondence of executive directors may be found in other locations such as Series 6. 7, 9, and 13.

CHRONOLOGY OF AOTA

changes within the Association. It is assumed that researchers using the AOTA Archives will have some knowledge of historical developments in occupational therapy. The

following Chronology may be used as an aid to understanding the organization of the AOTA Archives.
1917 The National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy was organized

in March. The first annual meeting was held in September.

reconstruction aides. Between April 1918 and July 1921, one thousand six hundred and

eighty-five reconstruction aides graduated from twenty-five schools or programs of

occupational therapy.

Association. Eleanor C. Slagle became the first paid-employee—Executive

Secretary.
1931 The Association established a National Registry of occupational therapists.
1932 The first National Directory of Qualified Occupational Therapists was issued.
1933 The Association began a cooperative effort with the American Medical

Association to accredit educational and training institutions in occupational

therapy.
1935 “Essentials of an Acceptable School of Occupational Therapy” was adopted by

the American Medical Association.

occupational therapists. The War Service Committee (previously National

Defense) later proposed to train volunteers.
1944 War emergency courses were started at the request of the Surgeon General’s

office.

1954 The Association became one of the ten founding members of the World

Federation of Occupational Therapists.
1964 The last meeting of the House of Delegates was held in Denver. The Executive

Board met for the first time. Frances Helmig was appointed Executive Director.

scientific advancement and to increase public understanding of occupational

therapy. The Delegate Assembly held its first meeting, Councils on Development,

Finance, Practice, and Standards were formed.

changes. Accordingly, the Representative Assembly replaced by the Delegate

Assembly, becoming the policy making body. The Executive Board became the

managing body. The new organization allowed the Association to be more

responsive to the needs and concerns of the membership.
Additional information about the Association’s history may be found in the following sources: “50^th Anniversary Issue.” AJOT 21(5): 269-320. 1967; Then…And Now, 1917-1967, a booklet published by AOTA; and “An Historical Perspective on Occupational Therapy,” in Willard and Spackman’s Occupational Therapy, edited by H.L Hopkins and H.D. Smith (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co., 1983), pp. 3-23.
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AMA American Medical Association

AOTF American Occupational Therapy Foundation

COD Council on Development (AOTA)

COF Council on Finance (AOTA)

COP Council on Practice (AOTA)

COS Council on Standards (AOTA)

HEW Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

NFIP National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis

NIH National Institute of Health

NIMH National Institute of Mental Health

NSPOT National Society for the Promotion of Occupational

Therapy

OVR Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

RSA Rehabilitation Services Administration

SRS Social and Rehabilitation Service

VRA Vocational Rehabilitation Administration