95-Year-Old Warsawan Revisits India After 30 Years
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Dr. Arthur Howard, Warsaw, recently visited India, where he was honored for teaching students physical education and coaching track and field in the country.
Howard, who founded the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, India, in 1960, was honored during a ceremony at the institute. He spoke there to physical education teachers about the institute's history and his experiences in teaching physical education courses at the institute.A Warsaw resident since 1977, Howard flew to India in October where he met up with his son, Dale, who lives in Minnesota. He visited with his track and field runners he coached at the institute in the 1960s, and received a glass plaque, a track suit and shoes from the institute for his service.
"I was happily surprised my former runners, who I once coached, remembered me after all of these years," Howard said.
While he was in India, he celebrated his 95th birthday Oct. 10.
Howard said he originally went to India in October to reminisce, take photos and visit schools where he once coached track and field and taught physical education.
During his month-long stay in India, he visited Woodstock High School in Landour, India, where his wife and three children graduated. He also visited colleges where he once taught physical education.
Howard earned a doctorate in education, with an emphasis in physical education, in 1952 from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
He served as athletic director at Taylor University, Upland, in 1936-37, and was athletic director at Huntington University from 1937-44.
Howard said he had a long history with the institute.
Howard first went to India in 1945 to serve as principal at Lucknow Christian College of Physical Education in Lucknow, India.
The college was looking for an educator who had a master's degree in physical education, so he applied and he worked at the school from 1945-70.
"I went to India on a ship without my wife and children because it was dangerous to travel because it was during World War II," Howard said. His wife and children later came to India to live there with him when it was safe.
It took 40 days to get to South Africa, where he stayed for three months before reaching India.
He then began his duties as principal of Lucknow Christian College of Education. He educated teachers on how to teach physical education in high schools and colleges in India.
Howard then served as director of post graduate studies at the Young Men's Christian College in Chennai, India, from 1977-79. There, he prepared curriculum for teachers who sought degrees in physical education.
He taught the first course in physical education at the college that was ever taught in India and developed the first physical education doctorate course in India.
"Up to that time, all colleges that taught physical education courses were under state government regulations, so this was the first time universities started taking over physical education programs," Howard said.
He founded the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, India, in 1960. While at the institute, he coached the Olympic track and field team in 1948 for India.
He coached track star Milkha Singh before the 1958 Commonwealth Games on how to beat the 400-meter world-champion Mels Spence. Singh won gold at the event.
Howard was assigned to serve as chairman for the Central Advisory Board for Physical Education for the Government of India.
He prepared and wrote syllabus for teachers who wanted to teach physical education in India.
Howard said he enjoyed visiting India and was humbled to be honored.
