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Objective: To present a chronologic review of the history and evolution of athletic training education in the United States as related to the professional growth of athletic training and the National Athletic Trainers' Association.
Background: Commonly accepted characteristics of a profession are an identifiable body of knowledge, the emergence of practitioners as professional authorities, and community recognition. These characteristics establish the criteria by which the professional growth, or professionalization, of athletic training can be judged. With guidance from the National Athletic Trainers' Association, the development of athletic training education programs and credentialing of athletic trainers during the past 50 years have contributed to the professionalization of athletic training.
Description: We present a chronology of the contributions of the National Athletic Trainers' Association to the development of athletic training education in the United States. The activities of various committees, task forces, and Association members are reviewed and traced through the past 5 decades. Early curriculum models and the development of education programs in colleges and universities are discussed.
Advantages: The historical review of athletic training education in this article will enhance the reader's understanding of the relationships among education, credentialing of practitioners, and professionalism in athletic training.
Key Words: Committee on Gaining Recognition, Professional Education Committee, CAHEA, CAAHEP, JRC-AT, Education Task Force, Education Council
The evolution of athletic training education in the United States is closely intertwined with the history and development of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA). As noted by O'Shea,1 the NATA was founded with a stated purpose to "build and strengthen the profession of athletic training through the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods of athletic training." Beginning with this mission statement, athletic training education has continually benefited from the vision, wisdom, and nurturing of numerous NATA members. Shortly after the NATA was founded in 1950, several events that led to the development of athletic training education programs began to unfold. In 1955, William E. Newell, Purdue University, became the first athletic trainer to be appointed to the position of National Secretary of the NATA, a position that subsequently became known as Executive Director. One of Newell's first significant acts was to appoint a Committee on Gaining Recognition, which established a forum through which the seeds of athletic training education were...