The Wisconsin Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (WAHPERD), an affiliate of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance and a department of the National Education Association, had its origins in the Wisconsin Association for the Advancement of Physical Education which was formed in December 1896. This organization, which was the second state-level affiliate of the national physical education association, met regularly under the leadership of Dr. F. Pfister at Milwaukee Turner Hall during 1897 and 1898, but apparently went out of existence after that time.
The Wisconsin Physical Education Society, the forerunner of the present organization, was founded on May 30, 1903, with the object of increasing the efficiency of the physical education profession and acquiring and disseminating knowledge about physical education in the state and, in particular, among the members of the profession. Twelve charter members attended the first meeting in Madison which was called by Dr. J.C. Elsom, a professor of physical education at the University of Wisconsin.
About 1937 the organization became known as the Wisconsin Physical Education Association. In subsequent years the organization operated under the following names: the Wisconsin Association for Health and Physical Education (1941), the Wisconsin Association for Physical Education and Health Education (1948), and the Wisconsin Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (1951). In 1980 Wisconsin formally added dance to its association, giving it equal weight with the other sections.
WAHPERD is organized into seven geographic districts which hold regular meetings in addition to the statewide general representative assembly and executive board meetings.
During its early years members were primarily physical educators at the various state institutions. Like the Wisconsin Association for the Advancement of Physical Education in which the Milwaukee Turner influence had been prominent, Milwaukee was also strongly represented in the Wisconsin Society for Physical Education. Gymnastics was the focus of the organization's early interest, and athletics and recreational sports were given little attention. WAHPERD's activities gradually widened, and eventually research, the promotion of health and physical education in schools, as well as the educational standards for physical educators all came within WAHPERD's scope.
To fulfill its goal of disseminating information about physical education the society began publication of a quarterly newsletter (first known as The Bulletin) and a research journal about 1930. (No copies of this journal are held by SHSW, although Volume VII is cited in Carol Anhalt's history in Box 1, Folder 4.) In 1978 research and news were again separated, with the introduction of a new research publication also entitled the Journal of the Wisconsin Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. WAHPERD has also been actively involved in lobbying on issues relating to physical education and health. It has also worked for standardizing college and university courses for health and physical education majors and minors. WAHPERD also publishes manuals and reports on sports, games and dance, thereby promoting a universal nomenclature for these activities.
