In 1970, Doris E. Porter founded the Department of Physical Therapy in what was then UT Southwestern's Allied Health Sciences School. Porter served as Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy from 1970-1978, retiring in 1980. She advocated for the licensure of physical therapists in Texas, and the Physical Therapy Practice Act was enacted by the 62nd Texas Legislature in 1971. The Act, which made licensure a requirement for physical therapists practicing in Texas, established a nine-member Board of Physical Therapy Examiners to facilitate enforcement of the new state law, and Porter was a member of the first Board of Examiners. In 2000, Porter helped to establish the Doris E. Porter Professorship in Physical Therapy, which was the first endowed professorship in the School of Health Professions and provides support for research and instructional activities at the School.
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