Gerald E. Myers, 85; wrote of dance and philosophy
NEW YORK - Gerald E. Myers, a scholarly specialist on the philosopher William James who expressed his missionary zeal for modern dance through the highly unusual position of philosopher in residence of the American Dance Festival, died Feb. 11 at his home in New London, Conn. He was 85.
The cause was multiple myeloma, said his son, Curt.
Mr. Myers led a double life. As a professor of philosophy, he wrote "William James: His Life and Thought" (1987) and "Self: An Introduction to Philosophical Psychology" (1969) and edited the Library of America edition of James's writings. As a dance enthusiast, he organized educational programs for the American Dance Festival, wrote books like "Who's Not Afraid of Martha Graham?" (2008), and, in a pinch, drove the bus for touring dance companies.
"I have taken on a private mission of being an advocate for the art form and giving reasons for placing it on a par with the other arts," he told The New York Times in 2002.
Gerald Eugene Myers, known as Gerry, was born in Central City, Neb., where his father was a Quaker minister. After earning a bachelor's degree at Haverford College, he was awarded a doctorate by Brown University in 1954. He taught philosophy at Smith College, Williams College, Kenyon College, and Long Island University before becoming a professor of philosophy at Queens College in 1967. He also taught in the philosophy program of the Graduate Center of City University of New York.
Philosophical problems of the self and introspection occupied his thoughts, but modern dance staked its claim when he met and married Martha Coleman, a dancer who had studied with Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey and later taught at the American Dance Festival. In the early 1970s, Charles L. Reinhart, the codirector of the festival, invited Mr. Myers to assist with projects intended to win a wider audience for modern dance, a role formalized with the title of philosopher in residence in 1990.
Mr. Myers's particular interest in African-American dance traditions led to programs and tours that formed the basis for the documentary series "Free to Dance," which was broadcast by PBS in 2001 as part of "Dance in America."
In addition to his wife and his son, of Manhattan, Mr. Myers leaves a brother, Barton of Chicago, and three grandchildren.
