This paper traces the history of the development of formal training for physical education teachers. The evolution of physical fitness training in American schools is discussed from its inception in the early 1800s, when the concept of the union of bodily health and academic achievement was first emphasized by German immigrants to the United States. It is pointed out that the earliest American physical educators were men trained in medicine, thus creating an early atmosphere surrounding physical education in colleges which was based on scientific inquiry and application. (JD)