Janet Seeley Explained

Janet Seeley
Birth Date:June 2, 1905
Death Date:December 20, 1987 (aged 82)
Occupation:College physical education professor, dance educator
Relatives:Frederick Townsend Martin (great-uncle)
Bradley Martin (great-uncle)

Janet Seeley (June 2, 1905 – December 20, 1987) was an American college professor. She was a member of the faculty at William Smith College from 1932 to 1971, and was director of the school's physical education department and dance program. A gymnasium on campus, and two scholarships, are named for Seeley.

Early life and education

Janet Seeley was born in Connecticut and raised in Rye, New York, the eldest daughter of Frank Earle Seeley and Mabel Martin Seeley.[1] Philanthropist Frederick Townsend Martin and socialite Bradley Martin were her mother's uncles.[2] She graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1927,[3] and earned a master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1932. At Bryn Mawr she was president of the school's athletic association,[4] and a member of the school's field hockey team.[5] She also trained as a dancer,[6] [7] at the Bennington School of Dance and the Elizabeth Duncan School of Dance in Munich,[8] [9] and with Martha Graham; she earned a teaching certificate in dance in 1939.[10]

Career

After college, Seeley coached field hockey at Bryn Mawr.[11] She joined the faculty of William Smith College in 1932, and remained there until she retired in 1971. She taught dance courses, directed and choreographed shows for the school's dance club[12] [13] and chaired the physical education department. She experimented with playing recorded music during exercise and sports, as when she played waltz music during badminton practice.[14]

Personal life and legacy

Seeley lived with her colleague Marcia Winn.[15] Seeley died in 1987, at the age of 82. The Winn-Seeley Gymnasium at Hobart and William Smith Colleges was named for the pair in 1970.[16] [17] In 1975, she and two of her siblings inherited the estate of their cousin, Elizabeth Sterling Seeley.[18] In 1997 both Winn and Seeley were inducted posthumously into the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Athletics Hall of Fame. The college also awards a Janet Seeley Performing Arts Scholarship "for performance and/or choreography".[19] The college's Winn-Seeley Award is presented to the outstanding senior woman athlete.[20]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: November 1, 1903 . Mrs. Frank E. Seeley (nee Martin) . 37 . Pittsburgh Daily Post . May 13, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: 1915-08-21 . Henry Townsend Martin; Brother of Late Bradley and F. T. Martin Dies in a Sanitarium . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-05-13 . 0362-4331.
  3. Bryn Mawr College, Class of 1927 (1927 yearbook). via Internet Archive
  4. News: June 1, 1926 . Alumni Parade in Gowns of 1904; Bryn Mawr Class Creates Hit Attired in Styles Worn at Graduation . 24 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . May 13, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  5. News: November 25, 1927 . In Intercity Hockey Matches . 21 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . May 14, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  6. News: May 21, 1950 . Student Dancers Perform in Geneva . 103 . Democrat and Chronicle . May 14, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  7. News: August 26, 1939 . Genevans Embark at Europe Ports . 25 . Democrat and Chronicle . May 14, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  8. News: September 30, 1937 . Honors are Won by Julie Denham . 10 . Buffalo Evening News . May 14, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  9. News: Howell . Joanne . May 11, 1951 . Choreography More than Big Word to Janet Seeley . 2–3 . Geneva Herald.
  10. Web site: Janet Seeley (1997) - Hall of Fame . 2023-05-13 . Hobart and William Smith College Athletics . en.
  11. News: Lurie . Dora . November 2, 1930 . Girl College Teams Beat Club Elevens . 50 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . May 14, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  12. News: May 16, 1954 . Smith College Recital Set . 99 . Democrat and Chronicle . May 13, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  13. News: May 5, 1955 . Geneva College to Offer Dance Concert . 47 . Democrat and Chronicle . May 13, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  14. News: March 26, 1939 . Swing Setting for Sports Seen When Waltz Aids Badminton . 32 . Democrat and Chronicle . May 14, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  15. Winn was listed as Seeley's "partner" in the 1950 federal census; 1950 United States Federal Census returns for Geneva, Ontario County, New York; via Ancestry
  16. Web site: Lippincott . Kerry . 2019-07-26 . William Smith College Athletics, 1908-1971 . 2023-05-13 . Historic Geneva . en.
  17. Web site: Marks . John . Looking Back: William Smith cultivated sport from the beginning . 2023-05-13 . Finger Lakes Times . en.
  18. News: Boros . Phyllis A. . October 30, 1975 . Seeley Estate Set at Nearly $200,000; Her First Cousins to Get Inheritance . 64 . The Bridgeport Post . May 13, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  19. Web site: Dance and Choreography Scholarship . 2023-05-13 . Hobart and William Smith Colleges . en.
  20. Web site: Winn-Seeley Award . 2023-05-13 . Hobart and William Smith College Athletics . en.

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