Bradley Holds Ribbon Cutting for The Glen and Polly Barton Clinic for Fitness and Function

October 15, 2025

Bradley University celebrated the official opening of The Glen and Polly Barton Clinic for Fitness and Function with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, October 17. The event was held at the newly completed clinic space in Campustown on the border of Bradley’s campus, marking an exciting new chapter in the university’s commitment to experiential learning and community service.

Made possible in large part through a $1 million gift commitment from Polly Barton and her late husband, Glen, the Barton Clinic will provide free physical therapy and other health services to uninsured or underinsured members of the Peoria community living with chronic neurological disorders.

“I am deeply grateful to Polly for her extraordinary generosity and vision in creating The Glen and Polly Barton Clinic for Fitness and Function,” said Bradley University President James Shadid. “The Bartons have been true champions for both Bradley and Peoria, and this clinic reflects that shared spirit of service. Thanks to their support, our students and faculty can make a lasting impact by helping those who need these services most.”

The Barton Clinic will be organized and staffed by students and faculty in the Doctor of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology and Health Science programs. More than 100 Bradley doctoral students will learn and serve in the clinic as part of experiential learning each academic year, alongside their teaching faculty. The clinic will also provide supervised learning experiences to Bradley students considering careers in health care, adding a valuable workforce development component to its impact.

“The clinic represents the best of what Bradley stands for—community engagement, applied learning, and compassion. Students will develop real-world skills while improving the quality of life for individuals across our region,” said Dr. Jeffrey Wanko, dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences. “Our faculty, under the leadership of Dr. Melissa Peterson, chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Health Sciences, have been an unstoppable force in providing the expertise and guidance that brought this clinic to where it is today.”

This new clinic adds to the Bartons’ long legacy of support for Bradley University, which includes previous contributions to the Business and Engineering Convergence Center and the Glen and Polly Barton Endowed Fund. Glen Barton, who enjoyed a 43-year career at Caterpillar culminating as CEO, also served two terms on Bradley’s Board of Trustees, including as chairman from 2000–2002.