In May 2027, Pitt Physical Therapy will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Before moving to the University of Pittsburgh Oakland campus in 1969, the physical therapy program flourished at the D.T. Watson Hospital in the tree-lined neighborhood of Sewickley outside of Pittsburgh, where patients, many of them children, would come for polio rehabilitation.
While Jonas Salk is heralded for discovering the polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburgh, hundreds of Pitt’s original physical therapists helped these polio patients learn how to walk again and regain their independence. The students’ time and training at D.T. Watson greatly influenced the trajectories of their physical therapy careers.
One of D.T. Watson’s physical therapy graduates is Bob Richardson (BAS PT ‘59, EDUC ‘75), whose 65-year career established him as an expert in the care of patients with rheumatic disease. He became director of physical therapy at St. Margaret’s Hospital in Lawrenceville, PA, working with some of Pittsburgh’s top rheumatologists when the hospital served as a regional arthritis center for western Pennsylvania and the tristate area. One of his leadership role models at D.T. Watson was Mary Elizabeth Kolb who would go on and become president of the American Physical Therapy Association.
Among Richardson’s many accomplishments were assuming leadership roles within the American College of Rheumatology, the Association of Rheumatology Professionals and later following Kolb as president of the American Physical Therapy Association from 1982 to 1985. These activities allowed him to represent physical therapy nationally and internationally and helped to establish positive outcomes for patients we serve.
An Undergraduate at Pitt
Bob Richardson grew up on a dairy farm in the Grove City area north of Pittsburgh with wonderful and supportive parents. The University of Pittsburgh, Penn State and Edinboro University were his options as a recruit for a full wrestling scholarship, but Pitt was his final choice due to wrestling coach Rex Peery who emphasized the value of a Pitt degree in addition to their wrestling excellence.
Richardson’s student college residence was located within the old Pitt Stadium that was on the upper campus and he has many great memories from those days. Richardson’s undergraduate degree at Pitt was aimed at becoming a wrestling coach and teacher. He was also a student athletic trainer and the Pitt athletic trainers encouraged him to become a physical therapist.
Richardson’s first meeting with a physical therapist was during the PT school admission interview with Mary Elizabeth Kolb, director of physical therapy at D.T. Watson. At the end of the interview, Kolb picked up the phone and called someone she knew at the March of Dimes, a non-profit charity working to eradicate polio. By the end of the phone call, Richardson had a full March of Dimes polio-related scholarship for his PT program.
Attending D.T. Watson
The PT profession in the 1950’s was growing rapidly and the profession by count was predominantly female. When Richardson entered D.T. Watson in 1958, the faculty and leadership were entirely female which was quite different from his undergraduate experience at Pitt. However, his 1959 PT class was split 50:50 men to women.
At D.T. Watson, Instructor Katherine Kelly inspected the class military style each morning for clean hands, clean uniforms and correct standing posture. Several faculty members were military veterans and their standards were evident.
Richardson recalls Dr. Jessie Wright who started her career as a physical therapist at D.T. Watson before attending medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. He says, “Miss Kelly would have us all stand while she introduced the visiting professor, Dr. Wright, who was also medical director of D.T. Watson Hospital and a noted polio expert.”
The hospital was home to many children who had polio. The faculty were active in treating the patients living there and the students had the opportunity to examine these children, and they took their “muscle testing final exams” as part of that course with the residents. Richardson remembers being impressed with the caring attitude and expertise of the faculty. “They set high standards for our class to attain,” he says, “and we were expected to be competent and successful.”
Richardson did not realize it while being a student, but as he started his external clinical affiliations, it became evident that his knowledge and experience about other health professionals and their function in patient care was limited. D.T. Watson was somewhat isolated from medical centers. Richardson helped facilitate the program’s move in 1969 when former dean and D.T. Watson faculty member Anne Pascasio introduced other health professions to the School of Health Related Professions (now known as the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences) in Pennsylvania Hall on Pitt’s Oakland campus.
Reflection
As Richardson began his PT career, he was influenced by mentors who were active in the APTA. Jim Herrington, director of physical therapy at Harmarville Rehabilitation, Fred Monaco, director of physical therapy at New Kensington Hospital, Eugene Michaels and Mary Elizabeth Kolb were all active leaders in APTA and paved the way for Richardson while nurturing his career development. Their counsel and support stimulated his passion for the profession that is alive and well today.
These mentors believed that the hallmark of a professional is giving back. Richardson did so as the western Pennsylvania district treasurer, district chair and Pennsylvania chapter president. These activities and the support of many others prepared him for national APTA activities and leadership positions.
Richardson recommends that today’s students study the history and contributions made by pioneers in the profession of physical therapy and pledge to always advance positive treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction throughout their career. Be a shining star and example for all that promotes a healthy lifestyle including “practice what you preach.”
“My practice history started in 1959 and continued through 2024 for a total of 65 years,” he says. “I have been blessed with good health and love what I do. I continue to see selected patients on a pro bono basis, mostly golfers with chronic back pain.”
“Lastly, I would like to share my focus on living an active lifestyle. Golfing and walking are activities I regularly do. I am proud to say I ’shoot my age’ with each round of golf and my handicap is now three.”
Mary Elizabeth Kolb would have been very proud today of Bob Richardson. Without her help with the March of Dimes scholarship, our profession would have missed an incredible leader who has made a difference. Hail to Pitt!