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Established in 1921 as the Department of Physical Education, the department maintained separate programs for men and women until 1970. In 1984 Physical Education became an independent unit. In 1990 the name was officially changed to Division of Kinesiology. In 2008 the Division of Kinesiology was renamed the School of Kinesiology. Records reflect the evolution of kinesiology from a department to independent division. Material includes committee records, curriculum material and topical files.

Spanning the years 1966-2010, the records of the School of Kinesiology (3.5 linear ft.) document the evolution of the division from a department within a school to a distinct degree-granting body. With material from all three stages of the Division's history, namely the Department of Physical Education (1921-1977), the Division of Physical Education (1984-1990), and the Division of Kinesiology (1990-1999), the records demonstrate a small unit's struggle within a large university and its efforts to garner support both from the university and Ann Arbor community. The record group is comprised of six series: Audio Series, Committee Records, Correspondence, Program Development, Topical Files and Website series. These series stress both the evolution of the division and its intrinsic relationship with the Athletic Department, providing students with practical experience in all of the distinct curriculum areas. Although a majority of the records highlighting the development of Kinesiology are held in the Program Development series, this theme and others reoccur throughout the record group.