Bertha E. Schlotter was born on September 18, 1897 in Keokuk, Iowa. She attended the Iowa State Teachers College for three semesters, received a Diploma from the Missouri School of Social Economy, and later attended Northwestern University where she studied education, sociology, and psychology. Schlotter taught in rural primary schools for five years.
Bertha E. Schlotter is best known for her pioneering work in recreational therapy. Influenced by Neva Leona Boyd among others, Schlotter studied the impact of organized recreational activities on the development of the mentally and physically disabled. She served as Director for the Friendly House Community Center in her native Keokuk, educational director of the Lincoln State School, and as an institutional therapy consultant for the Illinois Department of Public Welfare. Bertha E. Schlotter published several articles and conducted original research such as
An Experiment in Recreation with the Mentally Retarded in 1932 with Margaret Svendsen. She was long associated with Hull-House in various capacities including work for the Retarded Children's Aid, Inc. and service as director of the program for the ageing in 1959 after retiring from the Illinois Department of Public Welfare.
The Bertha E. Schlotter Papers include Hull-House Yearbooks, Gads Hill Center materials, unpublished papers, articles, clippings, speeches, awards, certificates, photographs, and scrapbooks.
Eleanor Schlotter donated these papers to the University of Illinois at Chicago on February 19, 1985. These materials were accessioned on March 20, 1985.
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Personal Papers
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| Box | Folder |
| 1 | 1 | Awards, birth certificate, clippings, speech, war ration book, and miscellaneous items,
1914-1978 |
| 2 | Certificates, grades, teacher's contract, photographs, biographical data,
1916-1970 |
| 3 | Hull-House - Neva Boyd materials, Recreation Training School of Chicago printed announcements, Gads Hill Center leaflet,
1923-1959 |
| 4 | Hull-House - yearbooks, clippings, leaflets, photograph of Jane Addams,
1925-1961 |
| 5 | Zeller, M.D., George A. "No Gentleman" - reprint,
1926 |
| 6 | Lincoln State School and Colony scrap book - programs, clippings, pamphlet,
1929-1935 |
| 7 | Lincoln State School -
Tour of Eastern Institutions for Mental Defectives (May 1942) by Bertha E. Schlotter, Dorothy L. Fernow, and Dr. Richard J. Graff, printed programs and related materials; also issues of The Welfare Bulletin published by the Illinois Dept. of Public Welfare,
1931-1961 |
| 8 | Schlotter, Bertha and Margaret Svendsen.
An Experiment in Recreation with the Mentally Retarded. Chicago: Behavior Research Fund, 1932.
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| 9 | Schlotter, Bertha E. "Psychological Values of Play,"
Child Study (March 1934): 165-167.
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| Box | Folder |
| 2 | 10 | Neva L. Boyd - unpublished papers, radio talk, lists, chapter of book, lecture notes, reports, reprints, biographical data, and published writings,
1934-1963 |
| 11 | Richards, Mildred.
Unofficial Report on the Educational Program of Lincoln (Illinois) State School and Colony. Chicago: Neva L. Boyd?,
1936. |
| 12 | Photographs,
1943-1960 |
| 13 | Photographs,
1943?-1960 |
| 14 | Dramatic Committee of Recreation Workers and Occupational Therapists of the Illinois Department of Public Welfare - play "As We See It, a Dramatic Presentation, the Story of the Therapies in the Hospital Situation,"
1946 |
| 15 | Photographs,
1946?-1959 |
| Box | Folder |
| 3 | 16 | Schlotter, Bertha E. "Non-medical Therapies Provided as a Treatment for Mental Illness,"
The Welfare Bulletin v. 38, no. 7 (July 1947): 31-32; 38. ; includes two other issues of
The Welfare Bulletin published by the Illinois Department of Public Welfare,
1947-1958 |
| 17 | "Hey Nonny Nonny,"
Newsweek July 4, 1949 |
| 18 | Training course materials,
1952-1955 |
| 19 | Schlotter, Bertha E. ""Presenting Recreational Activities to the Adult Mentally Ill Patient,"
Recreation for the Ill and Mentally Handicapped v.1, no. 1 (January 1957): 7-8. ; Schlotter, Bertha E. "Planning Recreation Programs,"
Recreation for the Ill and Handicapped v. 1, no. 2 (April 1957): 11-12. ; The January 1960 issue of the same journal is also included.,
1957-1960 |
| 20 | Schlotter, Bertha E. - re. Retirement from Illinois Department of Public Welfare,
1958-1959 |
| 21 | Schlotter, Bertha E. and Margaret Svendsen.
An Experiment in Recreation with the Mentally Retarded. Illinois: State of Illinois, Department of Public Welfare,
1959 |
| 22 | Scrapbook - photographs, clippings, mementos, notes,
1929?-1966 |
| 23 | Schlotter, Bertha and Margaret Svendsen.
A Handbook of Games for Play Leaders and Teachers. Reprinted from
An Experiment in Recreation with the Mentally Retarded. Chicago: Behavior Research Fund,
n.d. |
| 24 | L. Moholy-Nagy (Director, School of Design in Chicago) - speech re. occupational therapy,
n.d. |
| 25 | Austin, Ruth - speech re. recreation for mentally disabled,
n.d. |
| 26 | Unpublished papers - John Dewey's philosophy, educational play theory, progressive education,
n.d. |
