Dr. Glenn Olds Speeches - The Physical in Education (1960)

This document, titled “The Physical in Education,” contains the abstracts of two speeches given by Dr. Glenn A. Olds while he served as president at Springfield College. Both speeches address the role of physical education in contemporary education. The document opens with a preface by the Springfield College Press discussing the unification of spirit, mind, and body at the college. The first speech, called “Somatic-Psychic Education,” was delivered by Dr. Olds before the convention of the Eastern District of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 3, 1960. Olds argues that contemporary education focuses too heavily on the mind (psyche) to the exclusion of the body (soma), and then goes on to define the four principles of somato-psychic education. The second speech, titled “Sport—The Schoolroom of Competence and Character,” was delivered by Dr. Olds before the annual Sportsmanship Brotherhood Award luncheon at the Astor Hotel in New York City on March 15, 1960. It concerns the role of athletic programs in the educational process and argues that sports can provide meaningful rewards to participants. Rev. Dr. Glenn Alvero Olds (1921-2006) lived a multifaceted life. A colleague in 1978 described his early years as follows: “Born of a Catholic father and Mormon mother, influenced by Quaker upbringing and Methodist ministry, he worked his way through high school, college, and three graduate schools with honors and distinction – as a logger, ranch hand, park and forest ranger, professional boxer, dance band leader, dishwasher, and country preacher.” Olds served as president at Springfield College from July 1, 1958 to September 1, 1965, during which time he focused on curriculum revision, enrollment, long-range planning, organization, construction, and fundraising. At thirty-seven years old, he was the school’s second-youngest president. Olds left Springfield College in 1965 to accept a position as executive dean of the State University of New York, where he developed an international program for New York State’s system of colleges and universities. He later served as a special assistant for President Nixon, U.S. ambassador and representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and president at Kent State University and Alaska Pacific University.