Letter to Karpovich from Kennedy (August 26, 1957)

Stephen J. Kennedy wrote this letter to Peter V. Karpovich on August 26, 1957. In the letter, Kennedy writes that he has shared with H. Bradley a copy of Karpovich’s report titled “Physiological and Kinesiological Methods for Testing Footgear.” After this brief introduction, the remaining space contains an excerpt of H. Bradley’s reply (dated six days earlier), which references Karpovich’s study. The excerpt primarily summarizes a Japanese study about physiology and footwear.Stephen J. Kennedy graduated from the University of Illinois with a BA in 1926. He attended Columbia University, where he received his MA (1931) and Ph.D. (1936). Kennedy served as the Director of Research, Textile, Clothing, and Footwear Division at the Quartermaster Research and Engineering Command in Natick, Massachusetts. In addition, he was a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Economic Association. He published a book titled “Profits and Losses in Textiles” in 1936. Peter V. Karpovich (1896-1975) was born in Russia and trained as a medical doctor at the State Military Academy of Medicine in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), Russia in 1919. Under increasing political and professional turmoil, he fled to Latvia in 1922. In Latvia, Karpovich worked at the Riga YMCA. In 1925, he traveled to the United States to research at Springfield College. While there, he enrolled as a special advanced student and earned a master’s degree in physical education. In 1927, while completing his studies, he became a professor of physiology at the college. In the late 1940s, he met and married his second wife, Josephine Rathbone, an acclaimed scholar of physical education and relaxation. From 1961 to 1969, he served as the director of the physiology research laboratory at Springfield College, where he published several seminal books. Karpovich was a founding member of the American College of Sports Medicine and a consultant to many government, private, and educational organizations. He remains an internationally recognized pioneer in physical education