In one form or another, College and University Instructional Physical Activity Programs (C/UIPAP) have been a part of American higher education for 160 years. This essay highlights the history of this evolution, as well as the ongoing need for C/UIPAP. In doing so, it sets the stage for the thematic issue of the "International Journal of Kinesiology and Higher Education" devoted to C/UIPAP. It further identifies advocacy strategies and tactics that align with both the Association of American Colleges and Universities' Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) educational reform initiative, and federal government declarations aimed at improving the health and well-being of college and university students. Finally, while primarily focused on the situation in the United States, select research from the countries of Poland, Russia, and South Korea is introduced, along with a call for more international contributions about C/UIPAP.