Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

The collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Custodial History:

Portions of this collection was formerly part of the University Archives Publications Collection.

Preferred Citation:

College of William and Mary, Dept. of Physical Education Records, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information:

Acc. 1987.086 transferred 08/31/1989; Acc. 2009.019 was transferred on 2/4/2009.

Processing Information:

Box and folder list compiled by Vicki O'Brien, SCRC Staff, in May 2009.

Historical Note:

Shortly after women entered the College in 1918, the Department of Physical Education separated into two departments for men and women. The departments were responsible for classes, as well as the athletic and recreational programs according to their respective sex. There was little separation between athletics and academics, and faculty both taught classes as well as coach the athletic teams. The Men's and Women's Physical Education Departments were merged into one department in 1983. The merger of the two departments completed the separation between physical education, athletics, and recreational sports. The department was changed to the Department of Kinesiology in 1992. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Scope and Contents

This collection contains announcements, fliers, minutes, handbooks, reports, and programs from the Department of Physical Education at the College of William and Mary.  Included in the collection are programs and fliers for the student dance group, Orchesis; annual reports and handbooks from the women's physical education department; departmental meeting minutes; and copies of student projects and theses.

Related Material

University Archives Bound Volume Collection (UA 15); University Archives Artifact Collection (UA 13); University Archives Photograph Collection (UA 8); University Archives Audiovisual Collection (UA 58); University Archives Subject File Collection (UA 9); Department of Athletics (UA 181); Women's Physical Education Department Records (UA 82); Women's Athletic Association (UA 83); Martha Barksdale Papers (UA 6.004); Department of Kinesiology Records; various personal papers of students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

Separated Material

The film "Wilderness River Trail" was separated from Acc. 2009.019 and added to the University Archives Audiovisual Collection (UA 58) on 2/4/2009; A copy of the Department of Kinesiology's 1993 Assessment Report was separated from Acc. 2009.019 and was added to the Department of Kinesiology Records (UA 341) on 2/4/2009.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Athletics
• Athletics--Study and teaching
• College of William and Mary--History--20th century
• College of William and Mary. Dept. of Physical Education
• Fliers (printed matter)
• Minutes
• Programs
• Publications
• Reports
• Student Organizations--Orchesis