Founded in 1954, ACSM holds conferences, publishes books and journals, and offers certification programs for personal trainers and exercise physiologists.

The American College of Sports Medicine was founded in 1954[2] as the "Federation of Sports Medicine" in New York City at the Hotel Statler on April 22, as part of the afternoon program of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (AAHPER).

The following year, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) was officially incorporated, and 11 individuals were designated as founders.

The physical educators were Clifford Brownell, Ph.D. Ernst Jok, M.D., Peter Karpovich, M.D., Leonard Larson, Ph.D. Grover Mueller, M.S., Neils Neilson, Ph.D, Josephine Rathbone, Ph.D. and Arthur Steinhaus, Ph.D.

ACSM's six leading scholarly journals[5] include research, clinical reports and health-and-fitness information.