1960-2010September 24-25, 2010

Special thanks to the Speech-Language Pathology 50th Anniversary Celebration committee: Angelo Angelocci, Sheila Bentrum, Sherri Brown , Amanda Decker, Tina Pagnucco, Kelly Simpson, Lizbeth Stevens, David Winters

50 Years of Speech-Language Pathology at Eastern Michigan University

Dinner

WelcomeLizbeth Stevens, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Professor and Graduate Coordinator-SLP Program

David Winters, Ph.DSpecial Education Department Head

Jack Kay, Ph. DProvost and Executive Vice President

Eastern Michigan University

A Tribute from the Michigan Speech-Language Hearing AssociationRick Merson, Ph.D

MSHA President-Elect

Keynote AddressTommie L. Robinson Jr., PhD, CCC-SLP

President, American Speech-Language Hearing Association

Memory Sharing

Current FacultySheila BentrumBill CupplesClaudia GalliSarah GinsbergCarole GorenfloAna Claudia HartenRon HoodinDenise KowalskiLidia LeeLizbeth StevensHeather TobinJohn Tonkovich

Former FacultyThelma AlbrittonKathy AlexanderAngelo AngelocciMarjorie ChamberlainJuanita Ann CovingtonTheresa FersC. Wayne FultonJoan KadaravekLori PakulskiAngela MassenbergGerald MosesJim Palasek

David PalmerRalph RuppKen SchatzLee ShoughBill StephensVega WimmerJim Wood

History of Speech Pathology Program

Training courses for teachers of children with disabilities occurred at Eastern Michigan in 1915. At that time EMU was Michigan State Normal College. Programs for children with disabilities began on campus in 1925. Later in 1938 the Rackham School of Special Education, which was designed and equipped for training teachers and included a residential facility for children with special needs, was built. Rackham was the first of its kind west of the Alleghenies.

In the early 1950’s Dave Palmer was hired as Rackham’s first speech therapist. Wayne Fulton soon joined Palmer as its first audiologist, hired for the Deaf Education program. The speech-language pathology major was approved in 1958, and Bob Judge received the first Bachelor of Arts degree with the major of “Speech Correction” in 1960. The following year Thelma Albritton was hired as a faculty member. Shortly thereafter she took a brief leave of absence from Eastern to become the first Associate Secretary for School-Clinic Affairs of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Albritton was the first editor of the inaugural issue of Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools.

Over the years the EMU speech-language pathology program has excelled as: • One of the first in Michigan to require a master’s degree; • The only in Michigan to have its clinic approved under the State Mandatory Special

Education Act;• The only in Michigan to require dual certification/credentials for graduates (as both

regular classroom teachers and speech therapists); • The first in Michigan to have dual ASHA accreditation: for both its graduate academic

program through the CAA (around 1970) and for its clinic with Professional Services Board (PSB) accreditation.

The program has undergone numerous changes since its inception; however, its tradition of excellence continues.

In 1999 the program moved from its original home in Rackham to the Porter Building, College of Education, where the clinical suites include reading and counseling services in addition to the Speech and Hearing Clinic. Comprehensive clinical preparation at the graduate level includes two on-site clinics and two internships. The program has recently been reaccredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation through 2017. It has received national recognition through the exemplary activities of its faculty and students. For example, in the past five years three students have received competitive ASHA awards to prepare them for research and academic careers (i.e., the SPARC award). Students in collaboration with faculty present regularly at state and national conferences. Members of the EMU chapter of NSSLHA recently appeared on the Quizbowl team for their region at the 2009 ASHA convention. Faculty have authored numerous publications. They have assumed leadership roles in state and national professional associations. The EMU program remains one of the few in the nation currently to be housed within a department of special education in the college of education. Its roots in education are strong, and its tradition of producing exemplary clinicians remains.

The Speech-Language Pathology Program would like to thank the following donors* for their generous support:

GOLD SponsorHCR Manorcare

Friends of the SLP ProgramMartha AndersonAngelo Angelocci

Ashley’s RestaurantSheila Bentrum and Paul Fortino

Michael BrettingCynthia Crawford

David DalyDorothy Esckelson

EBS HealthcareMary Heid

Nancy KaufmannPhonic Soup Inc.

Prentke Romich Company (PRC)Joan Roe

Patricia SchrimperMary Anne Stankov

Steve StarllJohn and Liz Stevens

University of Michigan Hospitals-Speech Pathology DepartmentJean Usner

Wayne County Speech-Language Association (WCSLA)David and Kathryn Winters

William WolfolkSusan Wozniak-James

*As of September 15, 2010