Mary Reilly: Theorist, Scholar, and Educator

Mary Reilly was a major contributor to the education, practice, and research of occupational therapy during the twentieth century. In addition to developing the Occupational Behavior Work-Play model to guide education and practice, she promoted entry-level education at the master's level and encouraged her students to publish their master's thesis research in the professional journal. Her philosophical hypothesis that humans could, through the use of their hands, influence the state of their own health has been cited frequently since she shared the idea in her 1961 Eleanor Clarke Slagle honorary lecture. This paper summarizes her life history and professional contribution to occupational therapy.