As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, WTOP presents “250 Years of America,” a multipart series examining the innovations, breakthroughs and pivotal moments that have shaped the nation since 1776.

Delta Dental Federal Government Program is proud to partner with WTOP to bring you this series.

For much of American history, schools have been seen primarily as places for children to learn academics like reading, writing and arithmetic.

Over time, educators, health professionals and policymakers have come to recognize that student success involves more than just academics alone — it also includes the health and well-being of students.

As a result, schools have evolved from places focused primarily on academics into institutions that also promote physical fitness, proper nutrition and preventive healthcare.

The rise of physical education in schools evolved from the 19th-century focus on military preparation, with PE being used as a tool to help train and educate soldiers for battle. Following the Civil War, some schools adopted laws requiring physical education programs in public schools to better prepare future generations for war.

In 1855, Cincinnati became the first city to include PE in its public school system. California became the first state to mandate PE in 1866.

Although the aftermath of the Civil War helped shape mandatory physical training laws, the requirements gained traction and became more widespread around World War I and World War II when nearly one-third of military draftees were deemed unfit for combat.

In the 1950s, the Korean War further proved that Americans were not as physically fit as expected, which led to more focus placed on physical fitness. As a result, the President’s Council on Youth Fitness was formed in 1956 to raise public awareness about American children’s declining physical fitness.

The military draft also played a role in shaping nutritional guidance for students. Congress passed the National School Lunch Act in 1946 after lawmakers learned about the number of World War II recruits rejected due to diet-related health problems.