Charles M. Tipton Biography
Charles M. Tipton ’52, PhD, emeritus professor of physiology at the University of Arizona since 1998, has a long and distinguished academic career in exercise physiology.
Besides the University of Arizona, Tipton had academic appointments that spanned a number of higher education institutions, including Springfield College and the University of Iowa, as well as visiting professor opportunities at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Wisconsin. His teaching and leadership appointments include the academic areas of physical education, kinesiology, bioengineering, and biophysics.
Tipton and Springfield College
Tipton’s connections to Springfield College date back to 1952 when he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. In 1961, he was an assistant research professor in physiology. He taught and/or supervised courses that included exercise physiology and exercise physiology laboratory. When Springfield College hosted the regional meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in 1961, Tipton presented on the topic “Electrogoinmetry as a new research tool.”
Distinguished Author and Leader
Among his many books, manuals, and peer-reviewed journal articles, Tipton co-authored numerous times with Peter V. Karpovich, who was an internationally recognized exercise physiologist and one of the principal founders of the American College of Sports Medicine. Karpovich joined the Springfield College faculty in 1927 as a professor of physiology. In 1980, Tipton was invited back to campus to present the Peter V. Karpovich Lecture on the topic, “Lessons in exercise physiology learned from animal models.”
Tipton has contributed to more than 150 scientific publications.
Academic Innovation
While head of the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Iowa in the mid-1980s, Tipton established a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise and sport sciences, which later served as a template for a Bachelor of Science degree in physiology. From 1984-91, he served as professor and head of the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences at the University of Arizona.
Tipton earned a Master of Science in physical education and a PhD in physiology, both from the University of Illinois.
