MenuInventory of the Dept. of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation records, 1932-1986
Abstract
The Dept. of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) was created in 1975 by the merger of the Men's and Women's Physical Education Departments. However, formal physical education at Duke University dates back to 1902 when President Kilgo invited Wilbur "Cap" Card to return to Trinity College as Director of a new program in physical education.
The collection is divided into two series: General files and the John Friedrich papers series. The General files contain printed material on intramural athletics, personal recreational programs, and physical education. The John Friedrich papers series contains administrative records pertaining to his chairmanship of HPER from 1963-1986, and ranges in date from 1975-1986.
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- University Archives, Duke University
- Creator
- Duke University. Dept. of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
- Title
- Dept. of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation records, 1932-1986
- Language of Material
- English
- Extent
- 3.0 Linear Feet, 2750 Items
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Collection Overview
The General files series in the Dept. of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) collection contains materials pertaining to the origins and activities of HPER including material on intramural athletics, personal recreational programs, and physical education. Present in the collection are: flyers, intramural handbooks, clippings, manual for the Men's Physical Education program of 1932, and issues of the Faculty Fitness Newsletter. The John Friedrich papers series contains administrative records pertaining to his chairmanship of HPER from 1963-1986, and ranges in date from 1975-1986. Materials present include correspondence, minutes and agendas from several University committees including Academic Council, Commencement Committee, and Undergraduate Faculty Council of Arts and Sciences (UFCAS), as well as minutes from HPER departmental meetings. Friedrich presided over the HPER restructuring debates of the 1970s and early 1980s and reports, proposals, and clippings regarding retrenchment of the Dept. are present in this series.
Administrative Information
Collections are on the move for the renovation of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »
Access Restrictions
Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
For a period of twenty-five years from the origin of the material, permission in writing from the office of origin and the University Archivist is required for use. After twenty-five years, records that have been processed may be consulted with the permission of the University Archivist.
In off-site storage; 24 hours advanced notice required for use.
Use Restrictions
Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
Collapse All
Expand AllThis series includes material on intramural athletics, personal recreational programs, and physical education. Included are: flyers, intramural handbooks, clippings, manual for the Men's Physical Educatiuon program of 1932, and issues of the Faculty Fitness Newsletter.
John Friedrich papers, 1975-1986
The John Friedrich papers series contains administrative records pertaining to his chairmanship of the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department from 1963-1986, and ranges in date from 1975-1986. Material present include correspondence, minutes and agendas from several University committees including Academic Council, Commencement Committee, and Undergraduate Faculty Council of Arts and Sciences (UFCAS), as well as minutes from HPER departmental meetings. Friedrich presided over the HPER restructuring debates of the 1970s and early 1980s and reports, proposals, and clippings regarding retrenchment of the Dept. are present in this series.
Historical Note
Physical education began at Duke University when President Kilgo invited Wilbur "Cap" Card to return to Trinity College as Director of a new program in physical education. From 1902-1912, Card worked as both Director of the Gym and coach of various sports such as baseball. After the 1912 season, he stepped aside as coach to devote all of his time to being Director.
Under Card's direction all freshmen, sophomores and juniors were required to attend exercise periods. Card kept meticulous records noting the date of the examination, the student's age, weight, height, the girth, depth and breadth of several body parts (such as knees, thighs, shoulders, etc.), the color of hair and eyes, temperament, and other facts. From these measurements and observations he prescribed exercises that were best suited toward the physical development of each student. These physical examination volumes are located in Card's papers (see catalog).
Between 1926 and 1929, separate Men's and Women's Physical Education Departments grew out of the original department. During the 1930s, the Men's Physical Education Department incorporated a 1 hour classroom instruction (for the freshmen and sophomore students) into the required 3 hours a week of physical exercise for all students.
In the 1940s the Department of Physical Education and Athletics, under the direction of Wallace Wade, went through a period of growth. Due to the WWII war effort the V-12 Program administered by the Navy was established on Duke's campus from 1943-1945. As part of this program students received vigorous physical training 5 days a week so that they would be ready for service if called upon.
The post-WWII period of the 1950s and 1960s brought a new trend in physical education towards supervised group recreation. Elective courses in physical education method and theory were added in 1950 to help meet the increasing demand for teachers qualified to coach and teach physical education. 1960 saw the development of a voluntary intramural sports program that consisted of a dozen sports and involved a large percentage of the student population.
The Dept. of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) was created in 1975 by the merger of the Men's and Women's Physical Education Departments. At that time the major, which had been offered to women only, was dropped as was the physical education requirement for all undergraduates. HPER offered theory courses (set of courses dealing with various aspects of physical education or in the administrative use of physical education skills); activity/skills courses (tennis, racquetball, swimming, etc.); intramurals sports program; club sports; DUPAC (adult fitness program); and a faculty fitness program
In 1980, the Chancellor Pye recommended to the Board of Trustees that credit for courses be dropped and that the department become a "non-academic unit." HPER was restructured in July 1981 and made into a division of the Office of Student Affairs. In September of 1981 the Undergraduate Faculty Council of Arts and Sciences (UFCAS) denied Chancellor Pye's recommendation that credit for HPER courses be dropped and reaffirmed HPER's ability to offer credit for activities and theory course with the UFCAS course committee approving the courses.
John A. Friedrich, chairman of Dept. of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) from 1963-1986, came to Duke University from Michigan State University where he had directed the physical education instruction program for nine years. Friedrich served on a number of University committees including Curriculum and Policies Committee, Commencement Committee as chairman of staff marshals, The Project Wild Board, The International Club, and The Undergraduate Faculty Council. Materials from some of these committees are located in the John Friedrich papers series below. Friedrich was also on the board of directors of several local associations including the N.C. Lung Association, N.C. Heart Association, and the Durham Cancer Association.
This note was written based on information in an independent study The History of the Development of Physical Education at Duke, by Eddie Falcone and Mike Hamschin located within this collection.
Subject Headings
- College students--Physical training--United States.
- Duke University. Dept. of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.
- Duke University--Faculty.
- Duke University--Students.
- Friedrich, John.
- Griffith, William.
- Physical education facilities.
- Physical education and training--Curricula
- Physical education and training--Study and teaching (Higher)--United States.
Related Material
- Committees Reference Collection, 1932-ongoing (University Archives. Duke University. )
- Educational Facilities Committee records, 1962-1986. (University Archives. Duke University.)
- Julia R. Grout Papers, 1916 - 1984. (University Archives. Duke University.)
- Wilbur Wade Card papers, 1876-1943. (University Archives. Duke University.)
- Women's Department of Health and Physical Education records, 1923 - 1976. (University Archives. Duke University.)
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Dept. of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation records, University Archives, Duke University.
Provenance
The Dept. of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation records were received by the University Archives as a transfer in 1974; 1976; 1986.
Processing Information
Processed by Sherrie Bowser, October 2008
Encoded by Sherrie Bowser, October 2008
Accessions 74-156, 76-48, 76-189, 86-78 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and our local Style Guide.
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.