When you think of the artist LeRoy Neiman, several things may come to mind, like his coloring style or his painting of sports people and events. But that’s not all there is to the life of this legend. There are some moments many don’t know about him, and we’ll reveal ten of them in this list.
He Was in the Army
Before LeRoy Neiman made his mark as a professional artist and studied at an art school in Chicago, he served in the US Army. From 1942 to 1946, he spent several years in Europe, where he served his country as a cook—an experience that would shape his unique perspective on life and art.
Chicago Arts School Phase
After leaving the army, Neiman spent over 10 years at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Four of these years were spent as a student, and another ten were spent as a teacher. Beginning his journey there in 1946, Neiman continued to teach until 1960, leaving a lasting impact on the institution.
He Changed His Surname
LeRoy’s father’s name is Charles Julius Runquist. Had his father not abandoned the family, we would have come to know him as LeRoy Leslie Runquist, his birth name. His mother would later marry John L. Niman, and he would bear his stepfather’s surname, or, as we see today, a slight misspelling of it.
He Pioneered Sports Art
One of the first people to be well-known in the world of sports arts is LeRoy Neiman. He has paintings of different sports, including pool, football, skiing, hockey, and dancing. Some of his sports artworks include 18th at Pebble Beach, Salute to Mickey Mantle, Secretariat, and Dallas Grand Prix.
He Had Two Stepfathers
Even though we know John Niman as the man whose surname LeRoy took, he wasn’t the last husband of his mother, Lydia Sophia. She married another man, Ernst G. Hoelscher, five years after her divorce from Niman, which happened in 1935. LeRoy was roughly 19 at the time of her last marriage.
He Lost a Leg
When LeRoy Neiman was 89, his right leg was amputated. This was roughly two years before he passed. The artist suffered arterial insufficiency, and efforts to deal with it in other ways failed, so the legs had to go. Even after losing a leg in old age, Neiman didn’t retire from creating art.
He Was an Author
LeRoy Neiman was more than someone who painted and made screenprints for entertaining people and events; he also dabbled in authorship and has over 10 books of his art. Some of his book titles are 1994’s Big-Time Golf, 2003’s 5 Decades, 1997’s LeRoy Neiman on Safari, and 1988’s Monte Carlo Chase.
Neiman Did a Cover Artwork
If you have ever looked at the cover artwork for 5th Dimension’s fifth album, “Portraits,” and noted that it contains a painting style similar to that of LeRoy Neiman, then you may be pleased to know that he created it. The album was released in 1970 and is now gold-certified by the RIAA.
He Featured in Movies
LeRoy Neiman has several acting credits in four movies in the Rocky franchise, a sports-based franchise created by Sylvester Stallone. He appeared in two-thirds of all films in the series as of 2024. Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, and Rocky Balboa are the titles he featured in.
He Was Married for Over Half a Century
In 1957, Neiman married Janet Bryme (new Bryme), and they stayed married until his passing in 2012. That’s over 55 years spent together. They lived in New York, and even though they had been married for a very long time, Neiman and his wife did not have any children.
