Elizabeth Copeland Addoms (February 28, 1905 – August 26, 1983) was an American

physical therapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease prevention ...

who worked mainly on rehabilitation for children with

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...

. She was director of the physical therapy program at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

(NYU) from 1946 to 1970.

Early life and education

Addoms was from

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, the daughter of William Henry Addoms and Lucy M. Copeland Addoms. Her father was a businessman. Her older sister was botanist Ruth M. Addoms. She graduated from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

in 1927.

Career

Addoms taught high school as a young woman. She worked as a therapist at the

Neurological Institute of New York The Neurological Institute of New York, is an American hospital research center located at 710 West 168th Street at the corner of Fort Washington Avenue in the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center in the Washingto ...

, and taught at New York University (NYU). In 1946 she was named director of the physical therapy program at NYU, and served in that leadership role until 1970. She held a long-term fellowship from the

National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

. Addoms served on the board of directors of the

American Physical Therapy Association The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is an American individual membership professional organization representing more than 100,000 member physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy. The nonpr ...

(APTA), and was president of the Physical Therapy Fund from 1961 to 1962. APTA gave Addoms the Lucy Blair Service Award in 1971.

Publications

* "Treatment of Birth-Injured Children" (1934) * "A Program for Birth-Injured Children" (1936) * "The Day School as a Vital Factor in Rehabilitation of the Birth Injured" (1941) * "Objectives of basic physical therapy education" (1961, with Mary E. Callahan and Beatrice F. Schulz) * "Functions of the physical therapist" (1961, with Mary E. Callahan and Beatrice F. Schulz) * ''A Manual of Electrotesting and Electrotherapy for Physical Therapy Students'' (1964, with Edna Wolf and Samuel S. Sverdlik )

Personal life and legacy

Addoms died in 1983, at the age of 78. Her grave is in Brooklyn's

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope, Brooklyn, South Slope/Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, Win ...

. Since 1975, NYU's physical therapy program has given the Elizabeth C. Addoms Award for Excellence in her honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Addoms, Elizabeth C. 1905 births 1983 deaths 20th-century American educators American physiotherapists Health professionals from Brooklyn New York University faculty Wellesley College alumni