American School Hygiene Association
Encyclopedia
An outgrowth of the school hygiene
movement, the American School Hygiene Association (ASCHA) was a professional organization of physician
s, dentist
s, administrators
, nurses, and other stakeholders in the health and well-being of school children. Formed in 1906, it involved reformers and politicians of the Progressive movement era, and was active in school health and advocacy issues until its last congress in 1921.
meeting of health care
and school
personnel on December 3, 1906. The association was formed to "stimulate research and promote discussion of the problem of school hygiene" and "to take an active part in movements wisely aiming to improve the hygienic conditions surrounding children during school life." The stated goal of the association was:
Founding members included Hermann Biggs
, Irving Fisher
, Henry Goddard
, Luther Gulick
, and Adolf Meyer
.
was honorary president of ASCHA from 1907 to 1908, and in 1909 he convened the first White House
Conference on the Care of Dependent Children.
ASCHA had thirteen congresses (or conferences
), along with published proceedings, from its inception, which promoted "programs focusing upon a healthy school environment, including proper sanitation
, the screening of children for health problems, and adequate health instruction."
In 1912, it partnered with the American Medical Association
(AMA) to establish "teaching of practical physiology
and hygiene
in pubic [sic] and private schools."
The final congress of the ASCHA was in 1921.
instead of a comprehensive school health education
, ASCHA "helped shape the developing school hygiene
education movement." Some of its members went on to form the American Association of School Physicians in 1926, which in 1936 was renamed the American School Health Association
(ASHA). ASHA is still active in the advocacy and research of school health-related issues.
School hygiene
School hygiene or school hygiene education is a healthcare science, a form of the wider school health education. School hygiene is a study of school environment influence it explores influence of schooling to mental and physical health of students....
movement, the American School Hygiene Association (ASCHA) was a professional organization of physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s, dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
s, administrators
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
, nurses, and other stakeholders in the health and well-being of school children. Formed in 1906, it involved reformers and politicians of the Progressive movement era, and was active in school health and advocacy issues until its last congress in 1921.
Formation
ASCHA had its birth with a New York cityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
meeting of health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
and school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
personnel on December 3, 1906. The association was formed to "stimulate research and promote discussion of the problem of school hygiene" and "to take an active part in movements wisely aiming to improve the hygienic conditions surrounding children during school life." The stated goal of the association was:
Founding members included Hermann Biggs
Hermann Biggs
Hermann Michael Biggs was an American physician and pioneer in the field of public health who helped apply the science of bacteriology to the prevention and control of infectious diseases...
, Irving Fisher
Irving Fisher
Irving Fisher was an American economist, inventor, and health campaigner, and one of the earliest American neoclassical economists, though his later work on debt deflation often regarded as belonging instead to the Post-Keynesian school.Fisher made important contributions to utility theory and...
, Henry Goddard
Henry Goddard
Henry Goddard is the name of:*Henry Arthur Goddard , Australian soldier*Henry H. Goddard , American psychologist and eugenicist*Henry W. Goddard , federal judge in New York City...
, Luther Gulick
Luther Gulick (physician)
Luther Halsey Gulick, Jr. MD was an American physical education instructor, international basketball official, and founder with his wife of the Camp Fire Girls, an international youth organization now known as Camp Fire USA.-Life:...
, and Adolf Meyer
Adolf Meyer
Adolf Meyer may refer to:*Adolf Bernard Meyer , German anthropologist and ornithologist*Adolf Meyer , Swiss psychiatrist*Adolf Meyer , German architect-See also:...
.
Membership and activity
Progressive movement era President Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
was honorary president of ASCHA from 1907 to 1908, and in 1909 he convened the first White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Conference on the Care of Dependent Children.
ASCHA had thirteen congresses (or conferences
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
), along with published proceedings, from its inception, which promoted "programs focusing upon a healthy school environment, including proper sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
, the screening of children for health problems, and adequate health instruction."
In 1912, it partnered with the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
(AMA) to establish "teaching of practical physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
and hygiene
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
in pubic [sic] and private schools."
The final congress of the ASCHA was in 1921.
Legacy
While many schools during this era adopted only physical educationPhysical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
instead of a comprehensive school health education
School health education
School Health Education see also: Health Promotion is the process of transferring health knowledge during a student's school years...
, ASCHA "helped shape the developing school hygiene
School hygiene
School hygiene or school hygiene education is a healthcare science, a form of the wider school health education. School hygiene is a study of school environment influence it explores influence of schooling to mental and physical health of students....
education movement." Some of its members went on to form the American Association of School Physicians in 1926, which in 1936 was renamed the American School Health Association
American School Health Association
The American School Health Association is a professional association. It claims a membership of 2,000 members in 56 nations, more than half of whom practice in K-12 schools or administer health education or health services programs in school districts or state departments of education.Founded in...
(ASHA). ASHA is still active in the advocacy and research of school health-related issues.
External links
- Proceedings of the Fifth Congress of the American School Hygiene Association on Google Books
- Extract from Science magazineScience MagazineScience Magazine was a half-hour television show produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from 1975 to 1979.The show was hosted by geneticist David Suzuki, who previously hosted the daytime youth programme Suzuki On Science...
regarding ASCHA