Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services Department of Kinesiology and Health Science records, 1930-2010

Physical Education at Utah State University (USU) started in the 1890s with military drills and early intercollegiate athletics, eventually leading to USU's first physical education instructor, George P. Campbell, in 1901. For the next 20 years, Athletics and physical education mostly operated as a joint department, encompassing both competitive and intramural sports. In 1919, competitive sports and the role and responsibilities of Athletic Director were removed from the Department of Physical Education.

The department has primarily operated under the College of Education, now called the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. Since its creation in 1901, the department has undergone several name changes including Physical Education and Recreation (1947-49), Health, Physical Education and Recreation (1949-2017), and most recently, Kinesiology and Health Sciences (2017- ).