Seward Staley

In 1937, following the death of George Huff, Dr. Seward Staley was appointed director of the School of Physical Education at the University of Illinois. A native of New York, Dr. Staley began his career at Illinois in 1922, when he joined the men’s physical education program as an instructor. He took a keen interest in the structure of the program, and under his leadership the men’s program at the U of I changed dramatically.

Under Staley’s direction, the physical education program at the U of I became one of the top research-based programs in the country, and in 1942 Staley established the first master’s degree in the physical education program. Six years later in 1948, a doctorate degree in the physical education program was approved. Professional courses for students who wanted to specialize in physical education were added to the curriculum, and the first physical education library was established.

Dr. Staley received a bachelor’s degree from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1917 and a master’s degree in hygiene from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1920. In 1929, he was awarded a Ph.D. in education from the U of I. Rising from the ranks of associate in physical education for men in 1922 to assistant professor in 1930, he became a professor of physical education in 1933. In 1937, he was appointed director of the School of Physical Education and remained in that post until 1957, when he was named dean of the newly established College of Physical Education. He retired as professor emeritus in 1961.

Dr. Staley is noted for his research and leadership in the fields of health education, physical education, and recreation. Seward was appointed by the U.S. Olympic Committee to be the director of the U.S. delegation of 27 physical education students at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He was a consultant in physical training and athletics for the U.S. Army and Navy during World War II and was the director of the U.S. Army Sports School at Rome in 1945. Staley founded the Illinois State Physical Education Association in 1961, the Annual Conference of Big Ten Teachers of Physical Education in 1935, and the Annual Conference of Illinois College and University Teachers of Physical Education and Athletic Coaches in 1939. He authored several books including Games, Contests, and Relays: Calisthenics; Marching Tactics; and Curriculum in Sports. He was also the recipient of the U of I Gold Tablet Award and the AAHPERD Anderson Award.

In 1950, Dr. Staley was instrumental in establishing “Illini Picnic Grove” from the neglected experimental wood lot known then as “The Forestry.” In February 1991, the UI Board of Trustees approved renaming Illini Grove in Staley’s honor.