Table Of ContentSponsoring Committee: Dr* Leonard A* Larson, Chairman
Dr. John C. Payne and Dr. Louis E. Raths
*
THE GROWTH OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE STATE TEACHERS
COLLEGES OF NEW YORK IN RELATION TO CERTAIN
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SAMUEL ANTHONY WILLIAMS
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy in the School of Education of
New York University
19^0 fShtglf,accepted
*»fBPR 1013Sg
The student hereby guarantees that no part of the
dissertation or document which he has submitted for publication
has been heretofore published and (or) copyrighted in the
United States of America, except in the case of passages
quoted from other published sources; that he is the sole author
and proprietor of said dissertation or document; that the
dissertation or document contains no matter which, if published,
will be libelous or otherwise injurious, or infringe in any
way the copyright of any other party; and that he will defend,
indemnify and hold harmless New York University against all
suits and proceedings which may be brought and against all
claims which may be made against New York University by reason
of the publication of said dissertation or document.
Signed
Samuel A. Williams
Dedicated to
Ruth and Tony
ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
While recognition cannot be given to all who have
contributed to this study* appreciation may be expressed to
those who have given special assistance in the development
of the study and in the collection of the data*
Professor Leonard A* Larson* who was Chairman of
my committee* gave freely of his time and energy as counse
lor and critic* without whose help the outline may never have
been completed*
Professor Jay B. Nash* who guided the preliminary
research* was also a great aid in the development of the sec
tion on philosophy*
To Professors John C* Payne and Louis E. Baths* the
other two members of my committee* 1 am indebted; to the for
mer for teaching me how to do historical research and for aid
in finding and stating the problem; to the latter for direct
ing the research into channels which could reasonably bear
fruit.
Mr. Ellis H. Champlin, Director of the Division of
Health and Physical Education* and Mr. Caswell M* Miles*
Chief of the Bureau of Physical Education* made a major con
tribution to the development of this study* by making avail
able sf>ace in the Division* time of their own and of their
ill
^ "
staffs * and records of both the Division of Health and Phy
sical Education and the Bureau of Physical Education* as well
as offering encouragement and advice.
The following members of the State Education De
partment were mos t helpful by offering suggestions for re
search and in making available records of the Department:
Hermann Cooper* Assistant Commissioner for Teacher Education;
J. Cayce Morrison* Assistant Commissioner for Research; Edward
S. Mooney* Supervisor* Teacher Education; Wayne W. Soper* Sta
tistical Services; George A. Roberts* Statistician for the
Division of Health and Physical Education.
Presidents of the eleven State Teachers Colleges*
Librarians* Directors of Health and Physical Education and
their Staffs* Deans of the colleges* and Financial Secretar
ies gave generously of their time and effort in the location
of data for this study.
Oliver C. Carmichael* Chairman of the Board of
Trustees of the State University of New York* and Dr. Alvin
C. Eurich* President of the State University of New York* were
especially helpful in the encouragement of this study and in
directing me to the sources of help at the State Education
Department.
Finally* appreciation is due my family* and my
friends. To my wife* Ruth Sadler Williams* 1 owe a debt of
gratitude for encouragement and assistance. The constant
Inspiration of my son* Tony* will always be remembered.
PREFACE
The colleges included In this study are listed
below with the dates when they were established:
New York State College for Teachers at Albany 1844
Brockport State Teachers College — --- -— — 1866
New York State College for Teachers at Buffalo — - 1867
State Teachers College at Cortland----------- 1866
State Teachers College at Fredonia----------------1866
State Teachers College at Geneseo -------- 1867
State Teachers College at New Paltz --------------1885
State Teachers College at Oneonta -— — — ----— -— I887
Oswego State Teachers College ------------------ 1863
State Teachers College at Plattsburgh-------- — 1889
Potsdam State Teachers College ------------------ 1866
These colleges were open to students one to four
years later than the dates when they were established. They
were called Normal Schools. The first of these schools was
established at Albany. The others were all established by
I889.
The schools at Albany and Buffalo had their names
changed earlier* but the others, became State Teachers Colleges
in 1942.r
Tl
" On April 13 > 1942 * the Governor signed the bill changing
the name of the State Normal Schools to State Teachers
Colleges. 11 Catalogue* State Normal School* Plattsburgh*
1941-1942. (Insert oh Flyleaf.)
The Normal School at Albany had already changed
its name to the New York State Normal College and later to
the New York State College for Teachers at Albany* The Buf
falo State Normal School* by action of the State Board of
Regents* in May 1927* became the New York State College for
Teachers at Buffalo*1
Physical education is used broadly in this study.
It Includes the required program* the intramural program*
the Informal activities* and competitive athletics.
Health protection* health service* and health edu
cation are not included in this study except indirectly as
shown in the growth of the Departments of Health and Physical
Education,
Many of the professional workers in the field of
health and physical education are sometimes discouraged at
the slow rate of progress* but in the history of the United
States fifty years is not such a long time. When the progress
of the physical education program is viewed in this perspec
tive there is more evidence of growth.
Social and economic conditions in this country were
quite different in 1900 from what they are today. The needs
of the organism are similar* but must be met in a different
way because of increasing tensions in modern life,
Tl
A History» 1671-1946, New York State College for Teachers
7 at Buffalo* p. o">.
vii
Higher education did not occupy the position in
1900 that it now has. Normal schools did not have the rating
of colleges in 1900 either. The following quotation will
show something of the status of higher education in the State
of New York:
In 1900* $7»663»037.15 was expend
ed for higher education as compared
with $2 ,733,860 in 1890. In 1900, 29*795
students were reported as attending New
York Colleges* professional technical
and other special schools* as compared
with 14*519 in 1890. Such Institutions
reported in 1900 total net property of
$77>902*339.27 as compared with
$37*113>001.00 in 1890.1
The following quotation from another source will
give some indication of the status of teacher training at
the end of the nineteenth century:
Few colleges at this time made any
pretense of providing a professional
education for prospective teachers; in
collegiate circles* the idea still pre
vailed that the sole need of the high
school teacher was thorough scholarship.
As late as 1899> there were only 827 per
sons in teacher training courses in all
liberal arts colleges of New York State*
and of these* 674 were enrolled in the
colleges of New York City.2
Today* the enrollments in the teacher training
1. University of the State of New York* 114th. Annual Re
port of the Regents, 1900* p. r9*
2. William Mar shall French and Florence Smith French, Col
lege of the Fumlre State * A Centennial History of the
New York Staxe College for Teachers at Albany, p. 5-
viii
institutions have increased to the point that a single col
lege will be training more teachers than the number listed
above. There are private colleges engaged in the task of
teacher training also* and the enrollments in these are even
higher than the enrollments in the State Teachers Colleges.
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