Gym Class Memories

 In the 50's and 60's, back to school meant acquiring PE clothes, if they were not provided by the school. Certainly small town clothing, hardware and sporting goods stores sold PE necessities, but so did the national retailers. Local newspapers offered large display advertisements for gym shorts and often illustrations of jock straps.  SEARS (JC Higgins jocks were usually made by BIKE); JC PENNEY has stores in most every small town and were probably the largest supplier of PE clothes; WAL-MART frequently advertised sales on DUKE jockstraps during back to school sales. Even variety store W.T. Grant advertised socks, jocks shirts and shorts along with their pencils and Crayons.

 Some more memories “back to school” advertisements for requisite PE class equipment, jockstraps included.   The ad indicating supporters for boys with as small as 20″ waists reminds us that some schools mandated PE uniforms with jocks for grade school boys as young as 3rd and 4th grade.  And for those of you wanting to buy one of those 15 cent BIKE jocks, sorry I suspect they are sold out!

 I've acquired hundreds of vintage newspaper advertisements listing PE uniforms. If there is interest I can post many more. (Note the school supply list showing the jockstrap requirement for 4th graders. Some schools started boys in supporters at age 8)

 Schools with swimming pools typically meant PE swim class once or twice a week. While some schools required boys with long hair to wear swim caps, most boys were attired wearing only a smile.

 Navy aviation cadets enjoying a little exercise.  If they all adjourned to the same locker room shower, it must have been quite a site!  During their training, they regularly posed in jockstraps (or less) for posture and physique photos to show progress from their physical training.  Presumably, these comparative photos were included in their “201″ file or whatever it was called.   These photos should not be confused with the “posture photos” which were taken of all freshmen (male and female) upon entry to numerous universities in the early 50′s.  The students posed wearing nothing but smiles

 

 Push-ups were not unique to school PE classes, or even military platoon physical training activities.   At the conclusion of this PT session, if all of these men entred the locker room at once, I suspect the shower would be a bit crowded.