In 1991, the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario decided to recognize the achievements of Earle F. Zeigler, its first Dean, by establishing a lecture in his name. His broad range of scholarly interests spans sport philosophy, sport history, and sport administration, and the Zeigler lectures, likewise, have been given by distinguished professionals from diverse fields. In 1998, responsibility for hosting the Zeigler Lecture was placed in the hands of the International Center for Olympic Studies.
Earle F. Zeigler was born on 20 August 1919 in New York City, USA. At 21, he earned a B.A. in German from prestigious Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. In the subsequent 11 years he achieved an M.A. in German and a Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of education, both from Yale University. Earle was a top-notch athlete in several sports – football, wrestling, swimming, and table tennis.
Before his semi-retirement, Zeigler taught, coached, researched, published, and administered at four great universities, Yale, Michigan, Illinois, and Western). More than 100 students took their Master’s and Ph.D. work with him, many of them subsequently becoming distinguished leaders in their field. In his almost half-century career, Zeigler authored over 400 published works, including widely-used textbooks and articles in distinguished journals.
Zeigler’s outstanding dedication and service to professional societies and associations is well documented. For this he has been honored as few have been in the history of physical education/kinesiology. Both CAHPER and AAAHPERD bestowed upon him their highest honors. In 1978 he was named Alliance Scholar of the Year. In 1975 the University of Windsor conferred on him an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree; the University of Lethbridge recognized his enduring excellence by awarding him an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree, in 1997. Of all the societies and organizations Zeigler served, none is more prestigious and influential than the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Zeigler served on nine of the Academy's various committees since his election to Fellow in 1966; he was called to the Presidency of the Academy in 1981. In 1989, he received the Academy’s most coveted distinction, the Clark W. Hetherington Award. Earle F. Zeigler passed away in October 2018, at the age of 99.
Earle's detailed autobiography can be accessed here (pdf).
Earle's personal web site can be accessed here.
| 1990: Gerry Glassford, Canada | 2003: Ingomar Weiler, Austria |
| 1991: Earle F. Zeigler, Canada | 2004: Earle F. Zeigler, Canada |
| 1992: William Morgan, USA | 2005: Richard King, USA |
| 1993: Gordon A. Olafson, Canada | 2006: Donnie Pei, China |
| 1994: Scott Kretchmar, USA | 2008: Susan Brownell, USA |
| 1995: Terry R. Haggerty, Canada | 2010: Larry Gerlach, USA |
| 1996: Ronald Smith, USA | 2011: Laura Robinson, Canada |
| 1997: Garth Paton, Canada | 2012: Barbara Keys, Australia |
| 1999: Richard H. McLaren, Canada | 2014: Helen Jefferson Lenskyj, Canada |
| 2000: Andrew Jennings, England | 2016: Richard Pound, Canada |
| 2002: J. Koss & K. Harris, Norway/Canada | 2018: Jeffrey O. Segrave, USA |
