Gym was mandatory in 1948, as it would be through about the tenth grade until at least 1963. As one can see in the photographs above, there were few obese students, perhaps in part a reflection of their Great Depression era childhoods, and few junk food and soda machines to be seen. And there were few lawyers in 1948 saying that gym classes were so dangerous that insurance rates now prevent them from being offered, together with demands that expesnive equipment be provided, also help causing them to be cancelled in many schools in year 2004. In 1948 students could still burn off a lot of energy using relatively modest facilities. |