Elmer Berry

Born on October 9, 1879, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Elmer Berry wrote nonfiction centered on physical education, coaching, and human physiology. Nebraska Authors lists him as having lived in Geneva, Switzerland, and notes ties to the University of Nebraska, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Berlin.

His recorded bibliography includes Baseball Notes for Coaches and Players (1916), Physical Effects of Smoking (1918), The Forward Pass in Football (1920, co-author), Laboratory Manual of Physiology Exercises (1924), and Philosophy of Athletics (1927). Together, these works show a strong interest in sports instruction, health, and the science behind athletic training.

Berry also worked as a director of physical education and was associated with the International Y.M.C.A. School. That background helps explain the clear, instructional focus of his writing, which sits at the intersection of education, athletics, and early sports medicine.