William F. Straub
IN MEMORIAM: William F. Straub
“They don’t make them like they use to, John”. Bill Straub.
Dr. William F. (Bill) Straub passed away on February 21, 2017 at the age of 90.
Born in Catskill, NY on December 26, 1926, he was the son of Audin and Beatrice Straub.
Bill was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP) Founding Board. He was an active contributor to the initial meetings in North Carolina that established the foundation of the Association.
After several days of around the clock work by the Founding Board, Bill famously stated, “What about a Journal, John.” Bill provided tireless service to AAASP as the first Publications Director.
Bill was a man with a broad smile and many accomplishments that most of us, even “Old Timers”, did not know about. But that was Bill. He rarely spoke about himself. His dedication to education and sport psychology was his priority through his long and successful life.
At Catskill, NY High School, Bill excelled in several sports, including football and baseball. He served in the Army prior to enrolling at Ithaca College, NY. A professional baseball career was prematurely ended by a serious injury.
He coached high school sports for 14 years, including four straight unbeaten football seasons at Saugerties High School, NY. He introduced wrestling and track as varsity sports, expanded the intramural program, and introduced academic credit for physical education classes. He also introduced Little League and Babe Ruth league baseball to the community.
Bill completed his Master’s degree from Albany State College, and his Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He received a second Master’s degree from the New School of Social Research in NYC. Bill was a professor at Ithaca College for 24 years, teaching sport psychology and coordinating the graduate program.
A fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, AASP, AAHPERD, and the American Psychological Society, Bill spoke locally, nationally, and internationally on various sport psychology and kinesiology topics. He was the author of one text and the editor of two sport psychology texts. Bill was the owner-operator of one of the earliest publishing companies in the field of sport psychology.
He consulted with high school, college, professional, and Olympic teams, and was one of the earliest sport psychology consultants to work in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bill is survived by his wife Lucille, a sister, and many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.
If there was ever a person that gave so much and asked for so little, that was Bill Straub.
Respectfully Submitted,
John M. Silva Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Sport Psychology, UNC – Chapel Hill
Founding President, The Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology
