Central College will hold a dedication ceremony for the Helen Jean Hislop Center at 11 a.m. November 1. The naming of the center, which is home to the discipline of exercise science and athletic training on campus, commemorates Hislop’s years of service in the field of physical therapy.
Hislop graduated from Central in 1950 with a major in biology. She subsequently earned her certificate in physical therapy and master’s degree and doctoral degree in physiology from The University of Iowa, and she received an honorary degree from Central in 1978. Hislop served on the Central Board of Trustees from 1981-1998, and she received the Central Alumni Award in 1969. In 1999, she spoke at Central’s commencement, where she said, “I have been challenged and it is my task to challenge you. Central College owes me nothing: I owe Central College everything.”
Hislop passed away in 2013 after a long and illustrious career in the physical therapy field. A major part of her work included developing education programs for physical therapy. She developed the first doctoral program in physical therapy in the United States while working at University of Southern California (USC). She chaired the department of biokinesiology and physical therapy at USC until her retirement in 1998.
During her career Hislop authored numerous studies and journal articles, and she served as the editor of Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association. In 1991, APTA established the Helen J. Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to Professional Literature. Other awards Hislop received during her career include the Golden Pen Award, the Lucy Blair Service Award and Mary McMillan Lecture Award.
The Helen Jean Hislop Center will honor Hislop’s accomplishments in her field and commemorate her contributions to Central College. The dedication ceremony will be held at the exercise science building, located at the corner of West Fifth St. and Independence (across from P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium). A reception will follow.
