Kalamazoo Times

Drs. Fred Sammons and Barbara Rider have made a significant contribution to Western Michigan University's occupational therapy assistant program. The donation, described as transformative, establishes an endowment to support the program and its students. As a result of their generosity, the program will be renamed the Sammons Rider Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree Program.

Sammons, known for his work at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and founding Be OK, Inc., has been influential in creating rehabilitation products used globally. His Button Hook device is widely recognized in therapy practices.

Rider has contributed significantly through her roles at the Topeka Veterans Affairs Medical Center and as chair of WMU's Department of Occupational Therapy. Her work has had a lasting impact on both the university and the field.

This recent gift is not their first major contribution. In 2011, they made a historic donation leading to the creation of the Sammons Center for Innovation and Research in Occupation-based Technology. In 2024, two $10,000 awards were announced by the center to promote innovation.

WMU’s Department of Occupational Therapy was founded in 1922 and recently marked its centennial anniversary. The occupational therapy assistant program began in 2022 to expand career opportunities for students.

For more information on legacy planning, contact Trevor Block or visit WMU News online.