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Susan Hillman

Susan Kay Hillman, athletic trainer, physical therapist and anatomist, was born in Indiana on June 24, 1952.

Susan (Sue) graduated from Purdue University (BA, 1976), the University of Arizona (MS, 1977) and Stanford University (MA, 1982).

after graduating with her first masters (Arizona), she was hired by her alma mater (Purdue) as the head athletic trainer for women (1977-1980). During her years at Purdue, she was asked to help the athletic trainers in the men’s program. This was the beginning of the transition to a co-educational athletic training facility at Purdue.

Through the advisement from W.E. “Pinky” Newell, Sue took a leave of absence from Purdue to attend physical therapy school at Stanford University (1980-82). After the first year of her two year program, officials from the University of Arizona contacted Sue asking if she would serve as the Head Athletic Trainer for Women at the U of Arizona. After negotiations to hold the position until completion of the physical therapy degree, Sue accepted the appointment. Prior to her PT graduation the U of A was developing plans to merge the men’s and women’s athletic training departments. This resulted in the change of titles for the position from head of women’s to associate head athletic trainer (in the co-Ed setting).

Sue joined the Arizona athletic department in June of 1982. By December of 1982, Warren Lee, the Head Athletic Trainer at Arizona, passed away after months of illness.

This loss created a potential vacancy in the department, however, with merging the men’s and women’s departments the remaining 4 full time athletic trainers appeared to be sufficient. The Director of Athletics, Dr Cedric Dempsey met with each of the remaining athletic trainers, asking each how many athletic trainers they felt were needed for the proper care of all intercollegiate teams. Each of the remaining athletic trainers independently answered “four”. Thus, the Head Athletic Trainer would be an internal hire. Hillman was named Head Athletic Trainer in late December 1982, making Sue the first female to serve as head athletic trainer for a division 1 university.

Sue was a frequent speaker at National Athletic Trainer’s Conferences, speaking at more than 15 national meetings as well as several international as well as at medical and orthopedic specialty conferences.

in 1995, the University of Arizona decided to discontinue its master’s program in athletic training. Sue had taught a course in human anatomy as well as other courses in the master’s program. The director of the graduate program, Dr share Delforge, was asked to start a new graduate program in Phoenix, at what is now known as AT Still University. Gary recruited Sue to come with him to start the new program. In May of 1995, Sue and Gary joined the multi disciplinary faculty of AT Still. The programs were PA, PT, OT and AT. In preliminary meetings to discuss courses that might be interdisciplinary. Sue, the faculty member with years of teaching experience in human anatomy, was asked to present an anatomy course outline for the existing programs. Once this presentation was completed, the Dean decided to take Sue from the athletic training program to a stand alone anatomy department for all four programs.

With the change in Sue’s schedule, it was apparent to athletic trainers in the NFL that she might be available for pre-season camp. The Pittsburgh Steelers invited Sue to serve as an assistant athletic trainer for the preseason camp, beginning July 1996. Thus making Sue the first female to be hired by an NFL team. Sue served in that capacity 1996, 1997 and 1999, taking one year off to complete a textbook on athletic training.

AT Still cooperated with Sue in allowing both work with the NFL (Steelers as well as the Eagles for one preseason), but also with the NFL-Europe where Sue served as the head athletic trainer for the Scottish Claymores.