History

American College of Physical Education had its roots in the New York City Physical Culture Training School, established around 1905.  The A.C.P.E. was licensed in Chicago around 1910.  In 1913 the school split into two parts:  The Bernarr Macfadden College of Physcultopathy focused on prevention and treatment of physical illnesses, and the American College of Physical Education became a normal school for the teaching of physical education.

 

Originally a one-year course of 12 months, the A.C.P.E. program had by 1915 been extended to two years of nine months each.  Students had a choice of a certificate program, a diploma program or a degree program.  A.C.P.E. was licensed to grant a Bachelor’s of Physical Education degree.  The scope of the college was fourfold: preparation for directors of physical education, preparation for directors of playgrounds and community centers, special study for Chicago teachers seeking promotion credit, and two years of junior college work for those seeking to continue at a four-year college.  The college offered Saturday and summer classes for the benefit of local teachers.

 

Despite the focus of the school, it offered many of the cultural advantages of a standard college of the time.  It sponsored an orchestra, a literary society, a chapter of the Young Women’s Christian League, two professional sororities, a campus newspaper—the American—and a yearbook—the Lunkentus—and an athletic association.  The bulletin notes that the college offered a “wholesome” social life; parties were held in the College Building twice monthly, and four receptions were held in the course of the year sponsored by the president, the faculty, the juniors and the seniors.

 

The enrollment of the college in 1918 was around 150, counting special students.  Of these, more than 100 were women, likely reflecting the World War I culture.

 

In 1946 the American School of Physical Education merged into DePaul University.