PE, Exercise Science, and Sport Historical Timeline

By niclion13

  • German Gymnastics

    During the 1820s, German gymnastics was introduced to the United States by German immigrants. First step towards the gymnastics of today. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • German System

    In 1826, Charles Follen organized exercise classes, based on the German system, for students at Harvard University.

  • YMCA

    Young Men’s Youth Association (YMCA), founded in London in 1844. Helped in the growth of physical education. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • First Intercollegiate Competition

    In 1852, the first intercollegiate competition occurred. A crew race between Harvard and Yale was held, with Harvard winning the race. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Intercollegiate Baseball

    Williams and Amherst played the first intercollegiate baseball game in 1859. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • "Light" Gymnastics

    In 1860, Dioclesian Lewis developed the Lewis system of “light” gymnastics and introduced it to men, women, and children living in Boston. Exercise to improve the cardiovascular system were performed to music. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Normal Institute for Physical Education

    In 1861, Lewis established the Normal Institute for Physical Education in Boston to prepare teachers. This was the first teacher training program in the United States. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Intercollegiate Football

    Ruthers and Princeton participated in the first intercollegiate football game in 1869. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Safety Bike

    Around 1886, the safety bike, the forerunner of today’s bike, was invented and both men and women began to ride and caused a change in women’s attire so they would be able to ride the bike. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Wood Speech

    In an 1893 speech at the International Conference on Education, Wood presented his vision for a new physical education. 9Wuester. Fisette. 2015)

  • First Intercollegiate Women's Basketball Game

    In 1896, the first women’s intercollegiate game was held, with the teams from the University of California and Stanford University. (Wuest, Fisette. 2015)

  • Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives

    Established eligibility requirements for students pertaining to enrollment and academic performance, imposed limits on athletic financial aid, and developed guidelines for the employment and retention of coaches. 1896 (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Modern Olympics

    First version of the modern Olympics was held in Atlanta, Georgia in 1896. A small delegation of American athletes, participation was limited to only men and to 28 events in 4 sports. (Wuester. Fisette. 2015)

  • Delphine Hanna

    In 1903, Hanna was promoted to full professor, the first woman in the United States to be a full professor of physical education. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Playground Association of America

    Found in 1906, the Playground Association of America sought to promote the development of urban and rural playgrounds. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Four Objectives of Physical Education

    In 1910, Hetherington articulated the four objectives of physical education as organic development, psychomotor development, character development, and intellectual development. (Wuest, Fisette. 2015)

  • First Doctoral Degrees

    In 1924, the Teachers College of Columbia University and New York University offered the first doctoral degrees in physical education, and other programs began to develop around the country as well. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Jesse F. Williams

    In 1927, Williams published The Principles of Physical Education, which emphasized his beliefs about unity of mind and body. He argued that physical education should be included within the school curriculum because of its ability to contribute to the development of the whole child. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Dropping Physical Education

    Between 1932 and 1934, an estimated 40% of physical education programs were completely dropped, such as Illinois and California to do away with the physical education requirements. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • National Institute on Girls' Sports

    In 1964, the first National Institute on Girls’ Sports was held, with conference participation discussing ways to encourage more girls and women to participate in sport. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)

  • Title IX

    Title IX specifically states, “No person in the United States shall on the basis sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” This led to dramatic changes in the conduct of physical education and athletic programs and to significant increases in participation by girls and women within these programs. 1972. (Wuest. Fisette. 2015)