By 1975, Sarah “Sally” Short, Ph.D., Ed.D., was already a legend on the Syracuse University campus.
But on Jan. 3, 1975, she became world famous when an article appeared in The New York Times describing her unique teaching methods. The story included a photo of Short on a motorcycle–the same one she rode down the stairs of the Newhouse School of Public Communications and into her lecture room as her surefire way to grab the students’ attention.
“Dr. Short was my favorite professor back in the late 1960s,” Meredith “Mary” Moses Maxwell ’70 said in a 2020 social media post for the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. “Her classes were exciting, from being rewarded for correct answers with candy, to being greeted—often by name—walking across campus. I was in the famous class that was welcomed in Newhouse’s basement auditorium by the unmistakable sounds, smells, and sight of a motorcycle entering and driving down the aisle by none other than Dr. Short.”
Short, who joined the Syracuse University faculty in 1966 and taught an estimated 55,000 students, died in late July, about two months shy of her 100th birthday. A Professor Emerita in Falk College, Short taught various Nutrition courses, including Nutrition in Health, Sport Nutrition, and Dietary Supplements, and several other courses at Syracuse. She retired in 2016 after a half-century in higher education.
“I had the opportunity to co-teach the large Nutrition in Health class with Dr. Short and was able to see how she valued engaging students,” says Lynn Brann, associate professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. “She was innovative in her pedagogy and loved storytelling to teach about nutrition. She was also passionate about sports nutrition and had conducted research in examining the dietary intake of athletes at Syracuse University.”
Following The New York Times article, Short brought national attention to Syracuse University and the concepts of nutrition and sports nutrition through countless newspaper and magazine interviews and appearances on television shows such as “Today,” “Good Morning America,” and “Real People.”
“A few weeks (after the article), my older brother serving in Vietnam wrote and asked if I knew anything about this ‘crazy’ SU teacher,” Moses Maxwell said in 2020. “He’d seen a picture and article about the stunt in the Saigon Times. I was so proud to be her student. She was the ultimate teacher and a role model for my teaching and counseling career.”
Connecting with Youth
Numerous former students recount memorable classes that earned Short the moniker “Psychedelic Sally.” But theatrics aside, Short had a remarkable knack of connecting with younger generations.
Sudha Raj, teaching professor and graduate director in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, was a teaching assistant in Short’s Food Science class for two years during Raj’s doctoral program. Raj says Short was “very empathetic” with her students and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them.
“She was a legend in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), and several FNCE (Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo) attendees–noticing my Syracuse University badge–have inquired over the years about Dr. Short,” Raj says. “Many were her students, and others had heard about her bringing her motorbike into the classroom.
“I fondly remember her giving me newspaper clippings of my children’s achievements in the Fayetteville Manlius School District, and she always celebrated their successes with us,” Raj adds. “I will miss her annual Christmas greetings and her smiling demeanor.”
Margaret Voss, associate professor and undergraduate director in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, says Short’s ability to connect with youth extended to Voss’ daughter, Elise, who was 7 when she first met Short. Elise recently graduated from Nottingham High School (Short’s alma mater) in June, 100 years after Short’s birth in 1924.
“Elise idolized her,” Voss says. “Sally had an uncanny sense of knowing whenever Elise was alone in my office. She would quickly scoop Elise into her office before I returned, and they would have Oreo tea parties and Sally would tell Elise tales of when Ed Smith (Pre-K-8 School) first opened.
“I would eventually find Elise tucked into the pillows on the daybed in Sally’s office,” Voss continues. “What a sweet connection over an impressive generational gap. Sally lived a great life and made a huge difference in the lives of thousands of young folks. It’s a lovely legacy.”
A Lifelong New Yorker
Born in Little Falls, New York, Sarah Harvey moved with her family at the age of 4 into a house in Syracuse that was just two houses away from her future husband, Walter Allen Short. They both graduated from Nottingham High School–Walter in 1945 and Sally in 1946–and were blessed with three children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Short earned Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Education degrees from Syracuse University and taught at Upstate Medical University in addition to Syracuse University. She received several awards for her research and teaching, was a Fellow of the American Dietetic Association.
For Short’s full obituary, visit the Schepp Family Funeral Homes website.