About Us

1919

NJAHPER was established in 1919 following the NJ State Legislature mandate requiring that all children in New Jersey in grades K-12 pass 150 minutes of physical education every year in school to graduate. Dance was added as a division in 1982 transitioning us from NJAHPER to NJAHPERD.

Randall D. Warden, superintendent of schools for Newark Public Schools was the very first president of NJAHPER. The association was fortunate to have a president every year following Warden and functioned through two world wars. NJAHPERD provided a vehicle for the gathering of professionals to discuss what was happening in the schools and to share information. These dedicated professionals provided visionary leadership by establishing goals that included: affordable membership at the grassroots level to give people a voice in the association, providing professional development, advocating for the prioritization of children's health in schools, and implementing Title IX and VI.

We have come a long way from meeting in people's homes and restaurants to having our own headquarters in Ocean, NJ. In 2019, NJAHPERD celebrated its 100th anniversary. The many voices of our past have built the foundational structure that provides direction as we continue to grow. We look forward to what the next 100 years of NJAHPERD will bring.