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"The father of our more modern physical education classes." Friedrich Jahn was a teacher that introduced his students to outdoor physical education activities in the early 1800's.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/physical-education-history-major-contributors.html -
Catharine Beecher was a founding mother of physical education for girls in America.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/physical-education-history-major-contributors.html -
Charles Beck brought gymnastics to the United States from Germany in 1825 when he began teaching in Northampton, Massachusetts.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/physical-education-history-major-contributors.html -
Charles Follen, also from Germany, founded the first college gymnasium at Harvard University in 1826.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/physical-education-history-major-contributors.html -
In 1866, California became the first state in the country to pass a law requiring students to participate in two exercise periods a day in public schools.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/physical-education-history-major-contributors.html -
The American Association for the Advancement of Physical Education is founded in 1885.
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in 1885, SHAPE America (Society of Health and Physical Educators) was founded and has defined excellence in physical education in the US.
https://www.shapeamerica.org/about/ -
in 1892, Ohio passes a mandatory physical education law for students in public schools.
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John Dewey, an American psychologist who led a progressive education movement in America pushed for reforms in the education system.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/physical-education-history-major-contributors.html -
By 1925, 34 more states passed laws requiring physical education classes in public schools.
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American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation test was created in 1957 to evaluate muscular strength, flexibility, agility, cardiovascular endurance, and coordination.
https://www.sportzyogi.com/aahper-youth-fitness-test/ -
President Kennedy reforms the Council on Youth Fitness started by President Einsenhower and in 1961 it ultimately becomes the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/presidents-council -
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Presidential Physical Fitness Award Program acknowledging students that met or exceeded the 85th percentile on all seven test items.
https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/presidents-council/programs-awards/presidential-youth-fitness-program -
in 1967, this law required schools to ensure students with disabilities also received a quality physical education especially in the coordination and motor skills areas.
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/apaq/3/2/article-p124.xml -
July 1968, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, the first special olympics competition is held giving young people with intellectual disabilities to show the world what the could do not what they couldn't.
https://www.specialolympics.org/about/history/1968-games -
In 1972, congress passed the Title IX Law making it illegal to discriminate against a person on the basis of their sex from participating in sports or being part of any educational program.
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html -
In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed into law the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) guaranteeing a free and appropriate public education for all kids with disabilities in every state in the US.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg773.pdf -
The Healthy People Initiative was founded by Surgeon General Julius Richmond in 1979 to promote better health and disease prevention.
https://health.gov/our-work/national-health-initiatives/healthy-people/about-healthy-people/history-healthy-people -
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the month of May 1983 as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month to urge schools, communities, and states to organize activities to get kids and adults more active.
https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/proclamation-5056-national-physical-fitness-and-sports-month-1983 -
In 1989, SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids Programs began studying elementary physical education.
https://rmpe.appstate.edu/home-school-pe/spark