Summer School of Physical Training
In the latter part of the nineteenth century, interest in physical education grew along with the number of gymnasiums built at schools and colleges. More trained personnel were needed to instruct and assist students in the use of these facilities. Dr. Dudley Sargent, director of the Hemenway Gymnasium at Harvard, organized the first session of the Summer School of Physical Training in 1887. Like the other early summer courses, this program began solely on the instructor's initiative. The Summer School of Physical Training, later called the Summer School of Physical Education, continued until 1932. It remained under Sargent's directorship until his retirement in 1919.
The curriculum was divided into courses in theory and practice. Theory courses included theory of exercise, massage, hygiene, first aid, histology, anatomy and physiology. Sargent believed that the latter two subjects were very important for teachers of physical training. Practical courses included free movement, calisthenics, gymnastics, track and field, recreational games, and various forms of dance. In addition to Sargent, the courses were taught by a number of lecturers, instructors, and student assistants. Lecturers included members of the Harvard Medical School Faculty and other medical doctors, some of whom were women. New courses and teaching methods were introduced as the field of physical education developed over time. Certificates were awarded upon completion of the program which expanded to two summers and then to four.
Much of the practical work was done at the Hemenway Gymnasium built in 1878. It contained gymnastic and muscle building apparatus, ladders, ropes, flying rings, a running track, indoor and outdoor handball courts, and rooms for fencing, wrestling, boxing and exercise. For a couple of years in the 1890s there was a small pool in the basement of the gymnasium that was used for summer instruction in swimming and diving.
Visitors' day exhibitions were held every summer. These programs provided the opportunity for students and instructors to demonstrate their skills. Sargent believed that successful physical educators needed to be good performers. The exhibitions also helped raise awareness among educators and members of the general public about the importance of physical education. Generally performances were given by instructors and the more advanced students. These performances sometimes drew as many as 1200 spectators.
Many educators and leaders in the field of physical training and health studied at the Summer School of Physical Training. Booker T. Washington, founder of the Tuskegee Institute, and Helen C. Putnam, a graduate of Vassar College who obtained a medical degree and became known for her work in women's health and public health issues, were among the first students in 1887. Some other participants included Delphine Hanna and Fred E. Leonard of Oberlin College, Isabel Ballintine of Vassar College, Jessie Bancroft, Director of Physical Training in the Public Schools of Brooklyn, New York, Francis J. Campbell, Principal of the Royal Normal College and Academy of Music for the Blind in London, and Rebecca Stoneroad, Director of Physical Training, Public Schools, Washington, DC. There were many others, well known and less well known, who would bring their knowledge and training back to their work at colleges, schools, the military, YMCAs, YWCAs, private gymnasiums and other institutions.
