Emil Danenberg, a concert pianist who was the president of Oberlin College from 1975 to 1982, broke his neck in the 1940's and chose to have his neck fused looking down so he could continue to see the keyboard. I remember seeing him walking on campus with his chest thrown back so he could see where he was going.
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20066308,00.html