Melvin Henry Gruensfelder, M.S.

Appalachian State University

Universities and colleges--Faculty

Dr. Richard D. Howe

1987

Biographical sketches

Boone (N.C.)

https://www.geonames.org/4456703/boone.html

1980s

2000-2010

Assistant Professor Emeritus

Assistant Professor Emeritus of Health Education, Physical Education and Recreation. Melvin Henry Gruensfelder (Septem­ber 25,1919 -), retired college professor, was born in San Jose, Illinois to Emma Koeneke Gruensfelder and Henry J. Gruensfelder, a proprietor of a farm produce and supply business. Melvin worked for his father's business from June of 1937 to August of 1939. He had one older brother, William P. Gruensfelder. Melvin married Jo Garrett Gruens­felder, a registered nurse from Hogansville, Georgia, on November 23, 1944. They were married at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi (Miss.), where they had met the previous year after both of them were transferred there. Jo received training at and graduated from Grady Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia in 1943. From June 1943 to November 1945 she served in the Army Nurse Corps. Melvin and Jo have three children. Edna Jean (Mrs. Charlie Brown III) gradu­ated from the University of New Mexico in 1969 and is presently an elementary school teacher in Melbourne, Florida. Thomas Ray graduated from Appalachian State Univer­sity in 1973 and is now serving at a security service agency in Dothan, Alabama. Paula Sue (Mrs. James Reynolds) graduated from Appalachian State University in 1979, and she recently graduated from the Logan School of Chiropractic in St. Louis, Missouri. She has established a practice in the Greater Atlanta area of Georgia. Melvin received his early education at San Jose Grade School and at San Jose High School, from which he graduated in 1937. In September of 1939 he enrolled at the Univer­sity of Illinois where he received a B.S. degree in health, physical education, and recreation in December of 1942. He received a Secy. Cert, from Springfield College, Massachusetts in 1959. In 1964 he earned a M.S. degree in physical education from the University of Illinois, where he had begun working on the degree during the summer of 1946, before being interrupted by teaching, coaching, and "Uncle Sam." From Septem­ber 1965 to August 1967 he attended the University of New Mexico where he com­pleted doctoral coursework in physical edu­cation, recreation, sociology, and curriculum and instruction. Gruensfelder served in the U.S. Army during World War II. As an ROTC student in the spring of 1941, he was inducted into the Army Reserve Corps with the provision to accelerate his degree program along with
ROTC training which was to be followed by immediate entry into active duty. He com­pleted the program in December of 1942 and entered into active duty in January of 1943. From January 1943 to May 1943 he served in the Field Artillery OCS at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He graduated as one of the top five students in a class of 800, and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant. He partici­pated in liaison pilot primary training in Denton, Texas from June 1943 to August 1943 during which time he was housed on the campus of North Texas State Teachers Col­lege. He attended liaison pilot advanced training at Fort Sill from August 1943 to October 4943. He received his wings in October of 1943 and was assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division which was in training at Camp Van Dorn, Miss., where he became 863rd FABn liaison pilot. From July 1944 to October 1944 he was with the 863rd FABn on detached duty to Fort Sill Artillery School where he trained FA officers in air observa­tion and artillery fire direction from the air. In October of 1944 he returned to Camp Van Dom with Bn. In December 1944 he trav­elled with the 63rd Infantry Division in tran­sit to the 7th Army in France. From January 1945 to May 1945 he was on front lines with the 63rd in the Saar, Rhineland, and Central Germany. As liaison pilot, he directed artil­lery fire on enemy positions and was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters for his service. He served in preparation for assignment directly to the Western Pacific from May 1945 to August 1945 when the war ended in Japan and the 63rd was deactivated in Germany. At that time he was assigned to the 100th Infantry Division in Stuttgart, Ger­many, and in November of 1945 he was assigned to the 78th Infantry Division in Berlin as a courier pilot. In May of 1946 he was separated from the service. He also served in the Korean War from December of 1951 until he was separated from the service in October of 1953. Gruensfelder taught physical educa­tion and mathematical subjects at Drummer Township High School in Gibson City, Illi­nois from August 1946 to November 1951. He was also assistant coach in football and basketball and head coach of baseball during this period. Additionally, Gruensfelder was battery commander of the local National Guard Unit from June of 1950 until January of 1951. From January 1954 to April 1958 he was physical education director of the YMCA in Savannah, Georgia. He then served as executive director of the YMCA in Metairie, Louisiana (near New Orleans) from May 1958 to August 1960. In Septem­ber of 1960 he was appointed to the faculty of Tulane University as an instructor of physi­cal education until August of 1965. He served a graduate assistantship in physical education at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque from September of 1965 until August of 1967. From September 1967 to August 1969 he was assistant professor of health and physical education at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He began his career with Appalachian State University (ASU) in September of 1969 when he accepted the position of assistant professor of health, physical education and recreation. One year after his arrival at ASU, Mel discovered that Zeb Shook, retired ASU li­brarian, was with his brother in the 1st Ar­mored Division in the landing assaults at Salerno and Anzio, Italy during World War II. He later discovered that Norm Leafe, the late supervisor of Health, Physical Education and Safety, Department of Public Instruction for North Carolina, was Chief of Fire Direc­tion of one of the artillery battalions of the 63rd Infantry Division during World War II. After they met in 1970 during one of Leafe's visits to ASU, they discovered that they had something in common: they had often been in radio communication when Gruensfelder directed artillery fire from Leafe's battalion while in combat. Until 1970 he had only known Leafe's voice. While at ASU Gruensfelder served in the initiation of planning and development of the degree in recreation and leisure studies. Source: Personal correspondence. He was also joint appointee (1973-81) with secondary education for the improvement of the student teacher experience and for liaison between the physical education teacher train­ing program and secondary education. He retired from his position of Coordinator of the Recreation Degree Program at Appala­chian at the end of the fall semester, 1985. The Gruensfelders reside in Boone. N.C. - Dr. Richard D. Howe