Sara M. Schoppenhorst Leaves Generous Bequest

Schoppenhorst left an investment to the profession through a $76,500 gift to the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research.

Sara M. Schoppenhorst, a longtime supporter of the Foundation, was an active member of the physical therapist community throughout her lifetime.

Sara’s love of physical therapy was nurtured at Cottey College, Nevada, MO, then the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS with a B.S. in Physical Therapy and finally Stanford University, California with a M.A. in Physical Therapy.

Sara was awarded her Certificate of Registration as a physical therapist in January 1955 by the Board of Medical Examiners in the State of California. She served as the Administrative Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The MetroHealth System from 1956 until her retirement in 1991 and was on the faculty of Kent State University and Case Western Reserve University as Lecturer in Physical Therapy and Assistant Clinical Professor.

Sara was an active member of the Kansas Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) for 72 years where she served in many different capacities, including co-presenting multiple panel sessions at APTA’s Annual Conference. She served as a recording secretary for the Section of Administration and as a Delegate from Ohio in the 1970 APTA House of Delegates.

Sara served as one of the first members on the Professional Advisory Committee to work on the curriculum for the first postgraduate physical therapy program at Case Western Reserve University and served on APTA's Advisory Committee on Recruitment.

Schoppenhorst posthumously becomes a member of the Foundation’s Legacy Society through her bequest. Like Sara, many supporters of the Foundation choose to leave a gift to advance physical therapy research in their will. Sara’s gift to the Foundation is a testament to her lifelong love of improving people's lives through physical therapy and her commitment to grow the profession.

To learn how you can establish a legacy for the profession, visit Legacyfpt.org or call 800/875-1378.