American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.

The American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (AAHPER) is a service organization whose founding dates back to November 27, 1885 when William Gilbert Anderson, an instructor of physical education at Adelphi Academy, Brooklyn, invited a group of people working in the gymnastic field to come together to discuss their profession. A successor to the American Physical Education Association, it changed it name in 1975 to the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and, in 1979 to the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). As of 2003, AAHPERD was an alliance of six national associations, which includes the National Dance Association, and six regional associations. It sponsors conventions, professional development, scholarships, and publications. Headquartered in Reston, VA, it has 26,000 members.

From the guide to the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation records, 1931-1968, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)