DIVISION OF

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION ©
AND ATHLETICS
LINCOLN

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

FOR MEN

¥iG.4., 2/27/42, 2

we plan shortly to include some Judo (Jiu-jit-su) and also
quite a considerable amount of the work on bone-breaking
holds and other forms of wrestling that are barred in com-
petition, but which may be of value in war. We are also
planning to include in our swimming classes instruction

in swimming particularly in full clothing and even getting
military equipment from the Military Department to teach
swimming in full military uniform with pack, gun, etc.

We are urging the students to participate particularly in
those activites that will most quickly and easily develop
physical strength, endurance, agility, etc., and among
those we are trying to push are the general physical edu-
cation work, handball, wrestling, end boxing, and swimming,
and football to some extent. We are also trying to en-
courage general use of the trampoline, which gives a sur-
prisingly good workout and which we have found is the most
popular viece of apvaratus in our gymnasium. :

In answer to your inquiry concerning compulsory physi-
cal education, will say that I doubt very much if the Uni-
versity of Nebraska will go*to this inasmuch as our pre-
sent @hancellor is quite opposed to compulsory physical
education, but he does seem to be in sympathy with the push-
ing of our program and the éncouragement of the optional
work to the greatest possible degree. He would not oppose
compulsory physical training for the duration, I know, if
the request for the same came from the students, but I am
positive he would oppose it otherwise. As you are doubtless
aware, we have never had compulsory (required) physical educa-
tion for men with the exception of the one year required
of freshmen in the Agricultural College, which, by the way,
was put in at the request of the Agricultural College stu-
dents. It is true further, however, that all men excused
from Military Science because of physical disability are
required to substitute an equal number of credit hours (four)
in lieu of the military drill. We have always had what
I have felt was quite a satisfactory voluntary registration
in our practical work, but, of course, this has been helped
somewhat by the fact that we grant regular academic credit
for this work on the same basis as any other laboratory
work in the University. This academic credit program has
been in forée here for over forty years and I think has
been a great help.

I think you have one of our catalogs which shows the
rather wide variety of optional practical courses we offer