Tribute to Fitness Pioneer
Lt. Gen. Richard Leland Bohannon, Ret., M.D., Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force during the Johnson Administration, devoted his life to promoting health through an active lifestyle and good nutrition in both the military and public sector. He is credited with providing unprecedented support of research that led to major developments in the field of psychical fitness and health through lifestyle modification.
Back in the early 1960s, few saw a correlation between disease prevention and exercise. As Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force—he was the highest ranking medical military officer in U.S. history at the time—Bohannon felt exercise was more than recreational. He coordinated efforts so that a young Air Force Captain, Dr. Ken Cooper, a man many now call the “Father of Aerobics,” could test the physical fitness of thousands of Air Force personnel. This research led to the acceptance of aerobics as the official USAF conditioning program and to the publication of Cooper’s nationally recognized books Aerobics and New Aerobics, which stimulated a new wave of interest in fitness, exercise, and running.
“Had it not been for Dr. Bohannon’s efforts, Aerobics would never have been published, The Aerobics Center would not have existed, and fitness and running would not have realized the magnitude that they would have in America today,” Cooper said. He called Bohannon the “Grandfather of Aerobics,” and noted that “no man has had a greater commitment or any higher level of contribution to the field of preventive health and physical fitness than Dr. Richard Bohannon.”
As the importance of physical fitness was being established, Bohannon felt it was necessary to educate Americans about these findings and bridge the gap between the medical professional and the athlete. He thus created the National Jogging Association in 1968, since renamed the American Running and Fitness Association (and now called the American Running Association). This nonprofit, educational association is dedicated to educating Americans about exercise and motivating them to begin and continue an active lifestyle. The American Running Association (ARA) has helped hundreds of thousands of members in its existence, as well as provided information and advice to the millions of Americans nationwide. With the direction of Dr. Bohannon, ARA's newsletter, Running & FitNews, reports on current sports science research in a way that is useful and understandable to the public. Its public service programs help the media report accurately on fitness-related topics as well as provide free information to thousands of Americans each year. The Association also has motivational programs to help people stick to their exercise program, and it acts as a clearinghouse on fitness information. As Dr. Bohannon’s dream dictates, ARA strives to bridge the gap between medical professionals and athletes by supplying professionals with information to pass to patients, working as a liaison between athletes who have questions and sports medicine professionals who have expertise, and by offering a Professional Referral service.
Dr. Bohannon’s influence was far reaching. Back in 1978, C. Carson Conrad, former executive director of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, said Dr. Bohannon is “truly a great leader in the field of physical fitness and preventive health…There is a general consensus among the national fitness authorities that Dr. Bohannon is one of the major reasons that the USA is in the midst of an unprecedented physical fitness boom.”
Among other notable achievements, Bohannon received the Healthy American Fitness Leaders Award, the Kenneth H. Cooper Prize for Aerobic Leadership, the Golden Shoe Award from Runner’s World Magazine, the Silver Anniversary Award, the Distinguished Service Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Legion of Merit, Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Alumnus Award (Baylor College of Medicine), and the Distinguished Alumnus Award (Southern Methodist University).
In April 1993, Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force, Lt. Gen. Alexander M. Sloan, honored Bohannon with a plaque for his strong support of aerobic fitness programs during his tenure as Air Force Surgeon General, and established the “General Bohannon Award of Excellence in Fitness,” to be presented annually to the member of the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General with the highest fitness level. During that same month, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) honored Dr. Bohannon with a special message in the Congressional Record. Bohannon devoted himself to learning how physical fitness can improve mankind; to educating Americans about the benefits of exercise; to motivating Americans to take charge of their health through exercise; and to influencing leaders to make fitness a top priority in our nation’s health. “As our government continues to look for ways to solve our health care crisis, Dr. Bohannon’s early approach to improving the fitness level and health of all Americans should be followed. Many diseases can be prevented through diet modification and activity. We should encourage these preventive practices as we look for cost containment programs to help the sick,” said Susan Kalish, former executive director of ARA. “Dr. Bohannon spent his life expounding this philosophy. It’s sad he passed away before seeing it become a complete reality.”
Dr. Bohannon died on July 21, 1993, after losing a battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). He was 85 at the time of his death.