William James: His Life and Thought

Philosophy professor and dance enthusiast Gerald E. Myers was born in Central City, Nebraska in 1923. He received a bachelor's degree from Haverford College and a doctorate from Brown University. He taught philosophy at numerous colleges and universities including Smith College, Long Island University, Queens College, and the City University of New York. He wrote Self: An Introduction to Philosophical Psychology (1969) and William James: His Life and Thought (1987) as well as edited the Library of America edition of James's writings. He became a dance enthusiast after meeting his wife Martha Coleman, who was a dancer. He organized educational programs for the American Dance Festival, wrote books like Who's Not Afraid of Martha Graham? (2008), and edited numerous essay collections including The Aesthetic and Cultural Significance of Modern Dance (1984), The Black Tradition in American Modern Dance (1988) and African American Genius in Modern Dance (1993). He died of multiple myeloma on February 11, 2009 at the age of 85.