Bonnie Prudden (1914-2011) was a dancer, skier, world class rock climber, and pioneer in physical fitness and Myotherapy. Her research on youth fitness with Dr. Hans Kraus led to the establishment of the President’s Committee on Youth Fitness during the Eisenhower administration. She wrote 18 books on fitness and exercise for all ages from newborn to geriatric, wrote a regular column for Sports Illustrated, made appearances on the Home Show and the Today show, and had her own show, the Bonnie Prudden Fitness Show, from 1965 to 1967. In 1980 she established the Bonnie Prudden School for Physical Fitness and Myotherapy and published her book, Pain Erasure: The Bonnie Prudden Way.
The collection, donated by her friend and business partner Enid Whittaker, consists of typed and handwritten correspondence, photographs, original artwork, scrapbooks, notes, medical records, fitness research, autobiography drafts, climbing gear, equipment, athletic wear, and audiovisual materials. The collection demonstrates Prudden’s lifelong dedication to not only bettering her own health but that of all people, especially children and women. This collection preserves pivotal legislation surrounding youth fitness impacting American public-school systems, the creation of Myotherapy which sought to decrease the impacts of aging and improve overall physical wellness, and the written words and philosophies of a woman who dedicated her life to bettering the body. A portion of this large collection (approximately 73 linear feet) has been processed and described in a finding aid.
