Autobiography: John M. Cooper

John M. Cooper, a professor of physical education at Indiana University, was born in 1912 and was raised in Corydon, Kentucky. He speaks of his early obsession with basketball, and his time playing on his high school team, where he first developed the jump shot. Professor Cooper went on to the University of Missouri, where he played on the basketball team and participated in track and field. He discusses his time coaching and teaching physical education at three Missouri high schools, which was brought to an end by World War II, where he was a physical trainer in the army. After the war, he got a research position at Southern California University in their new kinesiology and biomechanics lab. His experiences there led to his position at Indiana University. Professor Cooper discusses the differences between kinesiology and biomechanics, his work at Indiana University, and the importance of computer technology and high-speed cameras in his field.