Celebration

Speech and Language Therapy celebrates its 85th anniversary

In 1919, Dr Anne McAllister, a founding member of the Speech and Language Therapy profession started teaching trainee speech therapists in Glasgow. This course was formally recognised in 1935 as the Glasgow School of Speech Therapy, which became part of Jordanhill College in 1968 and then the University of Strathclyde in 1994. Dr Anne McAllister was an inspirational woman of her era, setting up a clinic for speech difficulties in 1919 and becoming a pioneer of the Speech and Language Therapy Profession. Her legacy continues to this day, with the Speech and Language Therapy course at Strathclyde consistently ranked highly in the UK (1st and 2nd in recent years in the Good University Guide).

The course is now the longest established in Scotland and the second oldest in the UK. In its 85 year history, the course has evolved from awarding College of Speech Therapy Diplomas to BEd and BSc (Hons) degrees in addition to supervising qualified speech and languages therapists at MSc, MPhil and PhD level.

As part of the #StrathSLT85 celebrations the university’s School of Psychological Sciences and Health held a reception on the 4th February 2020. The reception was an opportunity for current and former staff, managers from the NHS, and representatives from the Scottish Government to meet and celebrate the growth, developments and achievements within speech and language therapy in Glasgow over the last 85 years.

Photo credits: University of Strathclyde Archives and Special Collections