Reminder

Just a reminder to all alums. Our anniversary celebration will be March 20-22, 2009. Invitations are in the works now, and we're looking forward to seeing a bunch of people come back to SLU. If you have any great memories of being in the PT program or pictures you'd like to share, please let us know or just post them in a reply to this.

PT School, Then & Now

Entering the SLU PT program as a freshman in the fall of 1997, I was one of the last classes to head to the Nicholas Building.















Soon afterward, the PT Program moved into the brand new Allied Health Building, which houses, among others, the PT, OT, Nutrition & Dietetics, and Athletic Training programs.

I think it's fair to say that my class and all after us were spoiled more than we could know. And that's not to mention the years before the Nicholas Building...

Staff Meeting

A little more history from our program. This small, slightly crowded gathering is a staff meeting from 1972. Sister Imelda is behind the desk. To her left, next to the filing cabinets, is Irma Ruebling.

Homecoming Wrap-up

My wife and kids after the run on Saturday morning.
The PT golf cart. It was our first year decorating, and Mary Ann and Cheryl did a great job.

Record numbers of people participated in Hustle for your Health, the pancake breakfast, and the golf cart parade. Overall, it was a great success. We are working on details for our Spring '09 celebration at this point. The next event happening at SLU is the Missouri PT Association's Fall Meeting the weekend of October 25 and 26. More details to follow.

Hustle is a big success!!

Thanks to all who came out for Hustle for Your Health this morning. We had perfect weather and a great turnout. The pancake breakfast also nearly doubled its previous high for number of people attending. The morning went perfectly, and pix from the events will be following soon. See you all tonight for the tailgating!

Homecoming!!

Homecoming weekend is here! Our 75th Anniversary celebration officially starts Saturday morning. Hustle for your Health registration/number pick-up begins at 7:30, with the race starting at 8. Afterwards, shuttles will be taking those of us who signed up to the Allied Health building for the pancake breakfast. The Golf Cart Parade, and we will have an area set aside at the tailgating BBQ--look for our sign. We follow that up with the men's soccer game. Hope to see a big group of people there for any or all of the events to celebrate our PT program and SLU as a whole.

A Bit of SLU PT History

In 1940, Sr. Mary Bernard Gruba, O.S.F. became the second graduate of SLU's Physical Therapy program. She was also previously certified as an X-Ray Technician and Laboratory Technician. Her ministry as a physical therapist took her to Liberty, Texas; North Platte, Nebraska; and Stuebenville, Ohio. She then returned to Sylvania, Ohio, where she continued working as a PT for her fellow Sisters of St. Francis. Sr. Bernard's work as a therapist spanned nearly 60 years. She died at the age of 99 earlier this year.

Homecoming Update

We have over 130 people pre-registered for this year's Hustle For Your Health! Thanks to everybody who's signed up. Keep talking up this event and the rest of the (mostly free) Homecoming '08 activities. See you all this weekend!!

Hustle for Your Health

The Physical Therapy Student Council has decided to move the 7th Annual Hustle for Your Health walk/run to September 27 this year as a part of the Homecoming Festivities at Saint Louis University. For all of you physical therapy alums and friends out there, we invite you to join us for a 1 mile walk or a 3.1 mile run at 8:00 AM. The fun continues with the Annual Pancake Breakfast of the Doisy College of Health Sciences at the Allied Health Building right after Hustle.

Registration forms are available if you click HERE

Hope to see you all there, and make sure you're registering for all the great homecoming events, especially the Doisy College pancake breakfast which we will be heading to after the Hustle for your Health. You can register online for Homecoming if you click HERE

Greetings alumni and other visitors! We are Nancy & Chris Dollenmeyer, co-chairs of the 75th SLU Physical Therapy Anniversary Committee and we would like to thank you for taking a second of your time to check out our anniversary blog site. We are hoping this can be a place of information, meetings, history, updates, sharing and gathering for SLU P.T. alumni & staff. We are very excited to be celebrating this incredible milestone in our department's history and we invite you to take part in any way you can!

Sincerely,

Nancy (Krueger) Dollenmeyer, MPT (2003) & Chris Dollenmeyer, MPT (2004)

Did you know that the first year of the SLU PT Program was also the year the the new Firmin Desloge Hospital was opened on Grand across from the SLU School of Medicine?

Welcome to the SLU PT 75th Anniversary Blog!

The Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy is very excited to celebrate 75 years of educating physical therapists. This blog will provide information about events during the year and will allow the over 3000 alums to post any remembrances of their experiences at SLU. As the Program Director, I am looking forward to hearing from many of you and meeting you at our events. Reserve the dates postcards will be mailed in the next couple of weeks.

I want to recognize our 75th Anniversary Program Co-Chairs, Chris and Nancy Dollenmeyer. Nancy is a 2003 graduate and Chris is a 2004 graduate of the program. Nancy can be reached at 75yearsslupt@gmail.com. The faculty and staff thank them for accepting this task!

You can also keep up on the 75th Anniversary and current happenings in the program by checking out our PT Program website.

Mark Reinking, PT, PhD, SCS, ATC
Program Director