A Tribute to an OT Pioneer. Miss Edwina M Marshall started
her journey in our profession by receiving the very first scholarship given by
the New Jersey Rehabilitation Commission, earning a Bachelor of Science degree
in OT in 1953, and later working for five years as an OT. She was approached by
leadership in the Adventist Healthcare System and named Department Chair at
Loma Linda to create the OT program which opened in 1959. She knew that higher
education was important in academia and later obtained a Master’s degree from
USC in 1964. One of the many talents she possessed was her ability for
scholarly writing. She wrote several syllabi used at the LLU campus and at
campuses throughout the US as few traditional textbooks existed.
Miss Marshall knew the significance of OT in clinical
services “To Make Man Whole” and established the professional services known
today at Loma Linda University Health. She wrote and received state grants in
the early 1970s that resulted in the creation of two mobile units for home
services throughout the Inland Empire. During her tenure at LLU, she was recruited
as a consultant in the development of six OT programs in the US and Japan. She
has been a mentor and educator to hundreds of OT students.
In 1985, for her exceptional work and contribution, Miss
Marshall was recognized as a “Fellow” by the AOTA. She was an advocate for
those with physical handicaps, serving on many local and regional advisory
committees to implement solutions encircling the tenets of the Americans with
Disabilities Act. In 1992, she was honored with the OTAC Lifetime Achievement
Award.
Miss Marshall retired in 1993 after thirty-five years as a
Department Chair at LLU. Her colleagues recognized her unparalleled
contributions to the OT profession and granted her Emeritus Professor status.
In 2014, she was nominated as a founding member and distinguished leader into
the “Leaders and Legacy Society” of the AOTF. She has spent her lifetime as a
maverick, leader, and visionary for OT. Submitted by Michael Davis & Diana
Su-Erickson
By Michael Davis and Diana Su-Erickson, OTR/L
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