THE BEGINNINGS OF PHYSICAL TRAINING AT ACADIA
In November 1890, a gymnasium was completed at Acadia College, and the College hired a Director of the Gymnasium to maintain the facility. The first Director of the Gymnasium was H. Y. Corey who was hired in December 1890. As was the case with Corey, many of the succeeding Directors of the Gymnasium were students. The introduction of a required gymnasium course in 1910 necessitated the hiring of a qualified instructor. The title of the position was changed to Director of Physical Training to better reflect the added teaching duty of the position and Wallace Welton Clark was hired to fill the position in 1910.
Between 1911 and 1914 all frosh were required to take the physical training course in order to fulfill the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts program. The requirement was dropped during the first World War but returned in 1921 for freshmen and sophomores, in both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs. In the early 1920s, Acadia University created the Department of Physical Education and in 1923 hired William Terry Osborne as its first Director. The new department was located within the Faculty of Arts, with a mandate to teach Physical Education to the students, and to manage interclass and intercollegiate competitions. The departmental teaching staff members were also involved in sport at the high school level, with the goal of teaching sport ethics at an early age.
By the late 1930s, the freshmen and sophomore Physical Education courses were structured in several sections: Activities, Theory, Hygienic Exercises, and Swimming/Diving. Under the category of Activities, students were taught soccer, field hockey, gymnastics, and the girls learned dancing. A swimming course was compulsory for all students. Those going into Education were required to take the Teacher Training Course in addition, and their examination was given by a member of the NS Department of Education. Course completion was determined by the examination result as well as by the recommendation of the Acadia instructor.
Aside from instruction, the Department promoted an active program of competition in a range of sports including basketball, hockey, track, tennis, rugby, gymnastics, swimming, football, soccer, and volleyball. Students were exempted from taking the Physical Training requirement if they were a member of a varsity sport team. However, once the season was over or the student was dropped from the team, he/she had to report back to the class and credit was given for the work done with the team, as partial fulfillment of the required work of the course.
During the second World War, military training became a compulsory course within the Department. The training and attendance at lectures took so much time that it was found impossible to require Physical Education. However, there were still limited inter-collegiate, inter-class and inter-platoon competitions.
Post World War 2, Acadia offered a certificate course Community Recreation and Leisure Time Activities for students wanting to work in leadership positions in the growing field of community recreation. Such students were advised to take a BA with major in sociology and economics. Recommended courses included:
1st year-English, History, Biology, Mathematics, and Physical Education,
2nd year-English, French, Economics, Psychology, Art, and Physical Education
3rd year-Economics, English, Education, Home Economics, and Psychology
4th year-Economics, Education, Art, Philosophy, and Canadian History or Library Science or Political Science or Psychology
Between the 1949 and 1956, it was compulsory for first year students in the Bachelor of Arts program to take Physical Education. This requirement was then dropped until 1965 when it again became compulsory and remained as such until 1971. Around 1965, the department recognized the interest in competition by the non-varsity students. An Intramural program was designed that remains in place today. Major Fred Gerard Kelly had joined the department in 1927, succeeding Osborne as Director of Physical Education and Athletics in 1940. On Sept 13, 1966 Major Kelly and Acadia President Dr. James Beveridge turned the sod on the new gymnasium which opened on Founders Day in October 1967. Space in the old gymnasium would be dedicated to housing the soon to be School of Recreation and Physical Education.
Kelly remained in this position until his retirement in 1967. William Busching was hired as coach of football and volleyball in 1965 and replaced Kelly upon his retirement. Gilbert Chapman was hired in 1967 as an assistant professor and head coach of basketball and soccer. When Busching retired in 1968, Chapman became Head of the Department of Physical Education and Director of Athletics. Seven years later he was named Dean of the School of Recreation and Physical Education when it was formed in 1974, and he continued in the position of Director of Athletics.
Between 1911 and 1914 all frosh were required to take the physical training course in order to fulfill the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts program. The requirement was dropped during the first World War but returned in 1921 for freshmen and sophomores, in both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs. In the early 1920s, Acadia University created the Department of Physical Education and in 1923 hired William Terry Osborne as its first Director. The new department was located within the Faculty of Arts, with a mandate to teach Physical Education to the students, and to manage interclass and intercollegiate competitions. The departmental teaching staff members were also involved in sport at the high school level, with the goal of teaching sport ethics at an early age.
By the late 1930s, the freshmen and sophomore Physical Education courses were structured in several sections: Activities, Theory, Hygienic Exercises, and Swimming/Diving. Under the category of Activities, students were taught soccer, field hockey, gymnastics, and the girls learned dancing. A swimming course was compulsory for all students. Those going into Education were required to take the Teacher Training Course in addition, and their examination was given by a member of the NS Department of Education. Course completion was determined by the examination result as well as by the recommendation of the Acadia instructor.
Aside from instruction, the Department promoted an active program of competition in a range of sports including basketball, hockey, track, tennis, rugby, gymnastics, swimming, football, soccer, and volleyball. Students were exempted from taking the Physical Training requirement if they were a member of a varsity sport team. However, once the season was over or the student was dropped from the team, he/she had to report back to the class and credit was given for the work done with the team, as partial fulfillment of the required work of the course.
During the second World War, military training became a compulsory course within the Department. The training and attendance at lectures took so much time that it was found impossible to require Physical Education. However, there were still limited inter-collegiate, inter-class and inter-platoon competitions.
Post World War 2, Acadia offered a certificate course Community Recreation and Leisure Time Activities for students wanting to work in leadership positions in the growing field of community recreation. Such students were advised to take a BA with major in sociology and economics. Recommended courses included:
1st year-English, History, Biology, Mathematics, and Physical Education,
2nd year-English, French, Economics, Psychology, Art, and Physical Education
3rd year-Economics, English, Education, Home Economics, and Psychology
4th year-Economics, Education, Art, Philosophy, and Canadian History or Library Science or Political Science or Psychology
Between the 1949 and 1956, it was compulsory for first year students in the Bachelor of Arts program to take Physical Education. This requirement was then dropped until 1965 when it again became compulsory and remained as such until 1971. Around 1965, the department recognized the interest in competition by the non-varsity students. An Intramural program was designed that remains in place today. Major Fred Gerard Kelly had joined the department in 1927, succeeding Osborne as Director of Physical Education and Athletics in 1940. On Sept 13, 1966 Major Kelly and Acadia President Dr. James Beveridge turned the sod on the new gymnasium which opened on Founders Day in October 1967. Space in the old gymnasium would be dedicated to housing the soon to be School of Recreation and Physical Education.
Kelly remained in this position until his retirement in 1967. William Busching was hired as coach of football and volleyball in 1965 and replaced Kelly upon his retirement. Gilbert Chapman was hired in 1967 as an assistant professor and head coach of basketball and soccer. When Busching retired in 1968, Chapman became Head of the Department of Physical Education and Director of Athletics. Seven years later he was named Dean of the School of Recreation and Physical Education when it was formed in 1974, and he continued in the position of Director of Athletics.