college of education | fall 1998

First Roy Niemeyer Award Given to Kinesiology Student


Sean Cleveland

The Roy K. Niemeyer Award was established in l998 with gifts given in memory of Dr. Niemeyer, who passed away on September 26, l997.

There were many who were fortunate enough to know and to be taught and influenced by Dr. Niemeyer, whose dedication and enthusiasm to his profession and, indeed, to life lives on.

The Award will be given annually to an eligible undergraduate student majoring in Kinesiology who has a 3.0 or above grade point average and a background in scouting, camping, or other activities involving outdoor education.

The first recipient of the Award is Sean Cleveland, a senior in Kinesiology from Pennsylvania. Sean has maintained a 3.8 grade point average. He is an avid golfer and fisherman and has hiked most of the Appalachian Trail. He hopes to continue his education by earning a master’s degree in exercise physiology. Eventually, he expects to be in the field of physical therapy or some area where medicine and Kinesiology are intertwined and doing research in outdoor survival.

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Dr. Harriet Whitney died earlier this year and left $5,000 to be used by the Department of Kinesiology in memory of Dr. Lydia Lightring.

Harriett Eleanor Skidmore Whitney grew up in Rose Township, Michigan. She graduated with a B.S. in Physical Education in 1938. According to Dr. Whitney’s daughter, Ann, her mother admired Lydia Lightring, who was director of the Department of Physical Education for Women from l930-1944. "Dr. Lightring was an inspirational person. She was a strong, influential woman and my mother always spoke of her as her mentor."

After graduation, Dr. Whitney married and raised two children and went back and obtained two masters degrees and two doctorates. Her career included teaching physical education at the elementary level in the early years as well as the establishment of the women’s studies program at the University of New York in Brockport toward the end of her career.

Deborah Feltz, current chairperson of the department, said the gift has created excitement within the department, and has special meaning because it comes as the 100 year celebration is initiated. "I am hopeful that many more graduates will make a gift of this size during our anniversary year. We have a tremendous need for scholarship and fellowship assistance for our students and funds for research and outreach by our faculty and students/

Those wishing to contribute to the Lydia Lightring Conference Room, in honor of the spirit and vision of Dr. Lightring, should send their checks directly to the Department of Kinesiology and send them to Kate Brown, director of development, College of Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1034.

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