Health & Physical Education Department
History
- “Department” status began during the school year of 1949-50.
Prior to this time, Health and Physical Education, Home Economics, English,
Social Science, and Speech and Drama were minor concentrations. To choose
either concentration, students had to major in Elementary Education, which
was the only four-year degree program at the time. Its establishment was
in 1940. The first conferred degree was in 1944. Prior to 1940, Grambling
State University (GSU) (i.e., Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute)
was a two-year institution.
- At the encouragement of principals and superintendents, based on teacher
performance appraisals and employment demands at the junior and senior high
school levels, consideration was given to providing teachers with more content
preparation than the 15-24 credit hours comprising the concentrations. With
the establishment of the Secondary Education Program in 1949-50, concentrations
were restructured and approved to have additional credit hours (i.e., courses).
This decision paved-the-way for a four year degree program in several concentrations,
health and physical education was one.
- In 1950, Mr. Eddie Robinson, Sr. became the first department head. He remained
in this position from 1950-58. During this time, he was the head coach for
football, basketball, and track and field. From 1958-74, Dr. Charles Henry
served as department head. In 1974, Dr. Henry resigned and accepted a position
as associated commissioner of the Big Ten Colleges and Schools. From 1974-79,
Dr. William Sanders was the department head. In 1979, he resigned to become
the Graduate Dean. He later became the department head at Wiley College.
From 1979-81, Dr. Michael Jackson served as department head. In 1981, Dr.
Jackson resigned to return to Tempe University as department head. From
1981-83, Mrs. Bessie McKinney became the first female department head. At
the end of the 1983 school year, Mrs. McKinney retired. From 1983-86, Dr.
Joseph Vaughn served as department head, deciding to return to Michigan
State University in 1986. During Dr. Vaughn tenure, contact was made with
Dr. Willie Daniel at Jackson State University to assist the department with
accreditation preparation of the Recreation Careers Program (RCP). Assistance
was continued through the tenure of Dr. Larry Williams, as acting department
head, 1986-88. In 1986, RCP was granted accreditation by the Council on
Accreditation, NRPA/AALR. In 1988, Dr. Daniel became the eighth department
head. It was with his assistance that RCP was nationally accredited, and
under his leadership the Physical Education Program was accredited in 1989-90
by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. In both instances,
the University was recognized as the first historically black college or
university having achieved accreditation of both degree programs.
