December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 20

Who, What, Where & how
-Around the Parks

magazine is called Parks & Recreation.
I contend that NRPA is still a noble
experiment. I do not think the experiment has been completed. It is ongoing.
Efforts over the last 45 years confirm
the dynamic tension as a strength, as
well as sometimes a weakness, of the
organization.

P&R: Were there any surprises in
researching the book?
KH: Both Dr. Sessoms and I are academics. Doug was a member since the
very beginning of the organization and
I joined in about its 10th year. We are
professionals and our vocation has been
about teaching students to become recreation and park professionals. Therefore, we examined the history through
our eyes. My understanding, however,
changed considerably as I had a chance
to work on the book. I had no idea about
the dual mission and the central place it
has had in the ongoing history of NRPA.
Several other issues stood out most
about writing this book.
As I read Doug's initial drafts and as

√1965
President Johnson
establishes War on
Poverty with several
programs related to
urban recreation and
park concerns.

I explored the literature more deeply, I
had a number of ah-ha moments in realizing how really courageous this experiment was. I did not understand
and certainly did not appreciate the
dual mission until I began work on the
book. Many professionals, like me, look
at NRPA as an organization that should
have some direct benefit to the individual professional. It does in many ways,
but the overall goal of being an advocate
for the parks and recreation movement is
central, and has numerous indirect benefits that we as professionals do not always see.
Second, I was impressed by the leaders of this organization. They were so
passionate about what they were doing
and so committed to this work. I look
at people like Charlie Hartsoe (former
Executive Director National Recreation
Foundation and former president American Academy of Park and Recreation
Administration-see Parks & Recreation,
October 2009) and many other individuals who have served as volunteers as
well as staff in the organization and I am

are chosen co-executive
directors of NRPA; Laurance
Rockefeller becomes NRPA's
first president; American
Park and Recreation Society
(APRS) and National
Conference of State Parks
(NCSP; later called National
Society for Park Resources);
first NRPA Congress, held
in Washington, D.C.

1967†

π1965
Five professional
organizations meet to create
National Recreation and
Park Association (NRPA)

The Joseph P. Kennedy
Foundation creates Special
Olympics; Sal Prezioso
becomes executive
director of NRPA

1966
National Recreation and Park
Association created; Joseph
Prendergast and Al LaGrasse

18 Parks & Recreation

DECEMBER 2009

www.NRPA .ORG

so impressed by their tenacity and their
commitment to this field/profession/
movement. I am also grateful to the many
individuals who sent me quotes to use in
the book. These quotes demonstrate the
true passion that many people have had
for NRPA over the years.
Third, I did not realize how the organization has changed and struggled financially over the course of its history.
It went from a largely philanthropically
funded organization to a member organization. It managed to maintain a consistent governance structure which did
not change until after the time this book
was written in 2005). The organization,
as probably is true of a lot of organizations, was very slow to change. Part of
the slowness seemed to be the governance system and lack of resources. I'm
not sure I was surprised by this theme
throughout the book, but when the same
issues came up year after year regarding money and structure, it became
clear just how slowly things can move.
This observation is not a criticism of
NRPA or the people involved, but it was

1971
Dwight Rettie becomes NRPA
executive director; Ethnic
Minority Society is formed
as an affiliate of NRPA

1972†
The National Park Service
creates its first urban park,
Golden Gate Recreation Area.

π1968
Wild and Scenic Rivers
and Architectural Barriers
acts passed by Congress

1968
NRPA establishes
awards program

1971

1976

American Association
of Zoological Parks &
Aquariums withdraws
affiliation with NRPA

The Council on Accreditation
is established and the
following year accredits
the first set of university
curricula; John Davis becomes
executive director of NRPA

December 2009 - Parks & Recreation

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