A good source of information about the history of physics education
in the USA can be found on the AAPT web site
<http://www.aapt.org/aboutaapt/history/history.cfm>
in particular for material on the 50's and 60's look at the material
on the Commission on College Physics. The reports of the Commission
were publ;ished in the American Journal of Physics.
Regards,
Len