People

Scientist, roundballer worthy of hoop-la

John M. Cooper, one of the pioneers of modern biomechanics, has devoted his life to the study of motion, having published more than 70 papers on subjects ranging from aging, reflexes, balance, sport movements, and falling. But chat with the 94-year-old scientist, professor emeritus, and longtime Bloomington, Indiana, Kiwanian and the conversation bounces back to basketball. For in addition to conducting groundbreaking research and introducing generations of collegians to kinesiology, John is credited with inventing the jump shot.

“I played basketball at the University of Missouri in the 1930s,” John says, while poring over a den full of newspaper clippings, books, awards, and memorabilia marking a lifetime dedicated to athletics and academics. “In those days, freshmen weren’t allowed to play on the varsity, so we scrimmaged them during practice. I was one of the shortest men on the team, but I was a great leaper. One day during practice, I was being guarded by one of the tallest players on the team. When I got the ball, I knew he could block my shot, so I jumped in the air as high as I could and shot the ball.

“I thought my coach would be impressed, but he took me aside and said, ‘Son, at the University of Missouri, we shoot with both hands on the ball and both feet on the floor.’”

The wily hoopster took his coach’s advice to heart—at least until the next season.

“I was a starter as a sophomore and was often matched against the taller players on the other team,” he recalls, with a twinkle in his eye. “We were playing Ohio State in a tight game, and one of my teammates lobbed me a pass that was going to sail over my head. I jumped up, caught the ball, and shot it while still in the air, making a basket. You know, from then on, my coach never said another word about it.”

After graduating from Missouri with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, John coached basketball at both the high school and collegiate levels. He also played some form of organized ball until he was in his mid-50s and was once featured on a box of Wheaties. These were the formative years for the sport, times when most of its participants had to hold “real jobs” to survive. John chose teaching and research, disciplines that fueled his true passion: science.

As a professor—first at the University of Southern California and then, in 1966, at Indiana University in Bloomington—John helped invent the science of biomechanics. Because of his groundbreaking research, John has served as president of numerous academic associations. In 1994, IU renamed its graduate kinesiology program the Dr. John M. Cooper Graduate Program in Kinesiology.

John still writes and makes an occasional public appearance. He and Charliyanna, his wife of 63 years, live in a modest, two-bedroom home nestled in the back of a scenic retirement community across the street from IU’s Assembly Hall, where you’ll see them frequently during the college basketball season, cheering on their beloved Hoosiers.

Almost lost in all the hoopla over his achievements though, is John’s love for serving others. He became a Kiwanian almost 70 years ago and has one word for those who believe they don’t have the time for service: horsefeathers.

“I’ve always been a busy man,” John explains. “But even though I had classes to teach and research to conduct, I always had time for Kiwanis. So when someone tells me they’re too busy, I say horsefeathers.”