In Memoriam: Helen Hislop, 1929-2013

Helen Hislop, former chair of the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, died earlier this month in North Carolina. She was 84 years old.

During her 30-year career at the university, Professor Hislop directed the division from 1975 to 1998. During this period, Professor Hislop developed the first Ph.D. program in physical therapy in the United States. The current chair of the division, James Gordon, stated, “She was a true visionary, and she is recognized as a giant in the physical therapy profession. Every physical therapist, not just those at USC, benefits from her legacy.”

Dr. Hislop was a graduate of the Central College in Pella, Iowa. She then worked at Yale University Hospital before returning to the University of Iowa to earn a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in physiology. She joined the faculty at USC in 1968.