Seymour (Sy) Kleinman: Remembering A Visionary Leader in Physical Education

written by John Kilbourne, Movement Science, Grand Valley State University

Physical Education recently lost a visionary leader with the passing of Dr. Seymour (Sy) Kleinman (August 21, 1928 - December 21, 2013). Sy was a mentor and friend to many who had an interest in a holistic, movement centered approach to physical education. Dr. Kleinman was my mentor at The Ohio State University and helped shepherd me though my doctoral studies. We had much in common including a background in dance education and performance, and an interest in developing sports performance programs for college athletes. It is primarily because of Sy that I was able to pursue a life and a career in higher education in the Movement Arts and Sciences, and beyond.

Sy, who retired after nearly forty years of service as a professor of educational policy and leadership at Ohio State was a pioneer and leading authority in the field of somatic studies. He was also a passionate advocate for the arts in education and led the Institute for the Advancement of Arts in Education at OSU for several years. I actually served as a graduate assistant for the Institute during my first year at OSU and witnessed first-hand Sy's passion for helping teachers embrace the importance of the arts in education.

Dr. Kleinman received his Bachelors of Arts and Masters of Arts in physical education from Brooklyn College. He earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State in 1960, followed by a year as a Fulbright Scholar in Finland. From the 1960s to his recent passing he and other faculty moved the College of Education at OSU into a leading center for somatic studies.

His academic output included five books and forty-four articles. He was a visiting lecturer and led groups of students to Denmark five times from 1982 to 1995. He received the Intellectual and Visiting Scholar Award from California State University, San Bernadino in 1996. He also held a chair for two terms in the Philosophy Academy of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Dr. Kleinman was a strong advocate for reforms in physical education. He worked tirelessly to advance a movement-centered approach to physical education as opposed to one focused on competitive games and sport. As was noted in a recent edition of, Introduction to Kinesiology (2013) his focus was the "philosophical analysis of movement, dance, Eastern movement forms and the bodily dimensions of being human." I am quite sure he was pleased to witness before his passing the present emphasis in physical education that stresses the importance of life-long, movement-based activities.

Having a background in dance, Sy was an early advocate for similar movement-based performance programs for college athletes. He said, "I think it is inconsistent to tell a student, 'You can study dance but you cannot study football.' (article)

Sy was an important and supportive mentor as I pursued my doctorate, allowing me for example to take courses in creativity and the creative process to satisfy the requirements in research methodologies. Most importantly, he served as my expert guide and counselor as I created and defended my dissertation that was the actual development, based on a dance model, of a movement-based, performance major for college athletes.

After his retirement, Sy remained an active member of the advisory council for the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association. He was also active in peace studies, including a presentation at the 2010 Global Forum on Civilization and Peace in South Korea.

Sy's remarkable commitment to a life well-lived through the beauty of movement will live-on through the many that were fortunate to know him and be mentored by him. I have many fond memories of being a student in one of his classes, sharing hotel rooms at conferences and listening to his bedtime stories, and enjoying a glass or two of red wine. Simply being in the presence of Sy and his cheerful spirit was very special. I know that wherever he is, he continues to smile and cheer us on.

Many former students, fellow faculty, and friends share similar fond memories of their time with Sy. Included below are some selected memories:

"Sy made an extraordinary difference in my life during my tenure at Ohio State; it was his guidance , love of people and the support/friendship from his family that meant so much to me" - Theophilus Gregory

"I had the privilege of meeting Sy during the latter part of his life. His gentle spirit, wisdom and humor are a gift I will forever cherish. Thanks for the miles we walked with one another - may we walk together again someday." - Mary Rose Bush Roe

"Sy will always hold a special place in my heart. He was my first supervisor at OSU in the Movement Arts and Outdoor Pursuits Section in the College of Education. He was devoted to his family and always treated the staff with respect. He was such a positive influence to all he came in contact with." - Carol Norris

"I had the good fortune to bE Sy's colleague at OSU from 2001-7. He was a wonderful scholar, person, and friend. He will be sorely missed." - Bill Morgan

"Was a joy to know and a strong advocate for healthy living" - Phillip Mayo

"I was really lucky to work with Sy Kleinman when I was a doctoral student at Ohio State. He was visionary and well ahead of his time in so many ways. I will always cherish his commitment to empowering his students to find their voice and confidence as emerging teacher-scholars. I have a lot of great memories of Sy, but one that really stands out is when he (gently) kicked me under the table during my final oral defense of my dissertation. He wanted to remind me to be confident in the choices I had made as a researcher. So when he felt like my confidence was wavering he gave me a "gentle" reminder to be strong. I needed that reminder.

He was not the type of person who had to use a lot of words and fanfare to get his point across to his students. He figured out how to stand back and let us all find our own voices and wisdom. Sy was actively involved in supporting and guiding the merging of the men's and women's physical education in higher education groups in the late 1970's. His passion for movement and quest for us to understand how the mind and body are intricately interconnected was - for me at least - a very refreshing way to value, view and consider the nature of human movement and the study of dance, exercise, physical activity and sport.

While it has been quite a few years since I last saw Sy, I cherish the memory of him, Jody Davenport and me laying out in the sun at a NAKPEHE conference in Clearwater, FL. Sy would have loved this year's congress theme because he often asked excellent and critical questions about the ways in which the fragmentation of Kinesiology would or could hurt or help Kinesiology in higher education. He would not want us to cry and mourn his death. He would ask that we kick up our heels, dance, and continue to pursue our passion for studying, promoting and engaging in physically active lives." - Camille O'Bryant (Shared at the 2014 NAKHE Congress, San Diego)

Sy Kleinman is survived by his wife Jacqueline, son and daughter-in-law Seth and Janessa Kleinman, and three grandchildren.

Biography: John Kilbourne, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Movement Science at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI. In addition to being the first full-time strength and flexibility coach (Dance Conditioning) in the National Basketball Association (1982-84 Philadelphia Seventy Sixers, 1983 World Champions), Dr. Kilbourne is the author of the recently published book, "Running With Zoe: A Conversation on the Meaning of Play, Games & Sport."

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