Jun 28, 1917 - Apr 7, 1991

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

STANFORD UNIVERSITY STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305-2060

MEMORIAL RESOLUTION JOHN ERSKINE NIXON

John Erskine Nixon, Professor Emeritus of Education and Physical Education, died on April 7, 1991, of complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 73 years old and had been a member of the Stanford faculty for 33 years (1949-1992). He retired in 1982. He is survived by his wife, Julie; a daughter, Kathy Esslinger of Palo Alto; a son, John of Mountain View; and two grandsons.

A memorial service was held in the Stanford Sunken Diamond on May 31, 1991.

John was born in Claremont, California, on June 28, 1917. He attended Pomona College where he starred in varsity football, basketball, and baseball. In 1939 he was graduated magna cum laude with an A.B. in Liberal Arts and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa; he was also an Honors Graduate in Military Science. He received an M.A. in Education from Claremont Graduate School (1940) and an Ed.D. from the University of Southern California (1949).

During the intervening years 1941 to 1946, he had extensive active military duty with the U.S. Army Headquarters where he served as an aide to General Joseph Stilwell in China, Burma, and New Delhi. In 1945 he was Chief, Special Services Section, U.S. Army Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and in 1946-1947, he was assigned to Athletic Service Headquarters, U.S. Veterans Headquarters, also in Washington. In 1960 he became a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Retired Reserve.

At Stanford, John was Director of Graduate Programs in Physical Education (1949-1982) and Acting Director of the Department of Physical Education and Intramural Sports for Men (1963-64, 1970). During his thirty-three years here, he developed not only excellent courses, but also strong educational and personal relations with his students. He was always available to confer with his students on educational, professional, and personal needs. Students and colleagues held him in high esteem and felt much affection for him as a human being. In recognition of the high caliber of his teaching and advising, the students of the School of Education bestowed upon him in 1975, the prestigious Excellence in Teaching Award. His former students are today living testimony of his influence as they serve in leadership positions in the field of physical education and athletic administration nationwide and internationally.

John’s extensive publications and variety of teaching and speaking experiences and honors brought him wide recognition as a prominent national and international leader in the field of physical education. He was the author or co- author of seven textbooks and editor of other publications used widely. Among them, he was senior author of An Introduction of Physical Education, now in its ninth edition; and of Physical Education Curriculum (1964). He was editor of Prentice-Hall’s Foundations of Physical Education Series (1968-1982), and editor of the Encyclopedia of Physical Education. He was also a prolific contributor to prominent professional journals and reports in his field.

Throughout his distinguished career, he was much in demand as a consultant and speaker by many schools and conferences in many parts of the U.S. and internationally. In 1955 he was a Smith Mundt U.S. State Department Consultant to the Government of Egypt Ministry of Education, the National Olympic Committee, and advisory coach to the Egyptian Basketball Team and National Basketball Federation. In 1956 he was a Senior Fulbright Lecturer in Physical Education Institutes in Denmark and Finland.

In August, 1972, he spoke to a General Session at the International Sport Congress by invitation of the Organizing Committee of the XXth Olympic Games and the Scientific Commission of the Games, Munich, prior to the Olympic Games held there. In that year he was again a Fulbright Lecturer, this time to universities in England, Scotland, and Wales. In 1975 he was consultant to the National Sports Council, Republic of Singapore, and was the principal speaker at the Annual National and International Sports Congress held there. In that year he also gave two speeches in Tel-Aviv. Later that year he was a keynote speaker at the International Symposium on Sport Pedagogy, which included 50 representatives from 20 countries meeting in Karlsruhe and was sponsored by the government of West Germany .

In 1977 he wrote a Proposal for the Planning, Development and Operation of an Institute for Physical Education and Sport for University of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He presented this proposal to the Ministry of Education and the president of the university. Also in 1977 he wrote another proposal: Proposal for Planning, Development and Operating a Faculty of Physical Education and Sport in the University of Jedda, Saudi Arabia, which he presented to the president of the university. In 1978, he was consultant to the Ministry of Education and Culture and to the Department of Sport and Physical Education, Government of Brazil, to present and implement master’s degree programs in Federal Universities. And in 1978 he was consultant and project author of A National Sport Plan for Iran, Northup Company .

Furthermore, he also served as a visiting professor at California Polytechnic College; San Francisco State College; University of Colorado; University of Washington; Alaska Methodist University; Sacramento State College; University of Hawaii; University of Oregon; The Institute of Education, Wollongong, Australia.

John received several honors from professional organizations in which he had long been active. In 1960 he served as president of the California Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and in 1964 he was elected president of the National College of Physical Education Association for Men. He was also elected to membership in the American Academy of Physical Education and the National Research Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

In 1978 he was named outstanding physical education educator in America and given the R. Tait McKenzie Award by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. And in 1984 he received several additional awards. On May 7 he received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws from College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio. On April 29 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the International Society for Comparative Physical Education and Sport, Annual International Conference, West Germany. Also on April 29, he received the Recognition Award from the Physical Education Group Assisting and Supporting University of Southern California Alumni and Friends for his outstanding contributions to physical education and to the University of Southern California. On April 1, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the International Relations Council of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. And in 1987 he was given the Alliance’s highest honor, the Luther Haly Gulick Award.

John Nixon’s many friends, colleagues, and former students will miss this kind, warm, enthusiastic, sensitive man.

Alfred H. Grommon, Chair 

Payton Jordan

Lawrence Thomas

Following is the obituary of John's wife, Julia, who passed away in 2006:

Julia H. Nixon Julia Haskell Nixon passed away peacefully on June 2, 2006, at the age of 84 in Palo Alto, CA. She was born on March 13, 1922 in Pasadena, CA to Fitch Harrison Haskell and Grace Evelyth Clark.