BALL, EDITH L. (1905-1996) Founder. Ed.D., New York, 1953. Professor Emeritus, Recreation and Leisure Studies, New York.

Dr. Ball's service to the recreation field spanned more than 50 years, during the latter half of which she was Professor and for many years Chair of the department at New York University. Prior to that she held numerous posts with voluntary agencies, universities and government agencies at all levels. A leader in youth services, recreation education and therapeutic recreation, Dr. Ball was a member of five Honorary Societies and listed in four Who's Who or International Biography directories. She received Distinguished Service Awards from twelve national, state and local organizations, including NYU's Ernest O. Melby Award for Distinguished Service in Human Relations. Dr. Ball authored or edited numerous publications and served as an officer or board member of several national, state, and local professional organizations.

Ball obituary.

BUTLER, GEORGE D. (1894-1985) Founder. A.B., Yale, 1916.

George Butler's legacy is shared by the parks and recreation profession and by the nation's communities, families, and particularly children and youth. He was one of the first to recognize the importance of parks and recreation to human development. The open space standards he developed in the 1930s guide students, educators, and administrators to this day. Among his six books are Playgrounds: Their Administration and Operation and Recreation Areas: Their Design and Equipment. His book, Introduction to Community Recreation, challenged governments to accept responsibility for public provision of park and recreation facilities and services. Today's park and recreation systems testify to his pioneering wisdom and energy. George Butler was Director of Research for the National Recreation Association (now NRPA) for 43 years (1919-1962), and one of the first and most persistent proponents of research in our field. Working with numerous government agencies, he conducted scores of community recreation surveys as well as a series of nationwide studies of municipal park and recreation resources. We are his grateful beneficiaries.

CARLSON, REYNOLD E. (1901-1997) Founder. M.A., California, 1936. Professor Emeritus, Recreation and Park Administration, Indiana.

Dr. Carlson was Professor at Indiana for 25 years, serving as Chair for five years. Prior to that he was Field Representative for the National Recreation Association (now NRPA), and before that ranger-naturalist, teacher, coach, and school principal. He was Co-Founder of the Association of Interpretative Naturalists, Developer and Coordinator of the Bradford Woods Center for Outdoor Education, Recreation and Camping, and President of the American Camping Association. Dr. Carlson wrote extensively about recreation, camping, conservation, outdoor education and services for youth, including such books as Outdoor Education, Organizations for Children and Youth. He co-authored Recreation in American Life and Recreation - The Changing Scene. Among his many awards were Honorary Doctorates from Indiana and Springfield College, Indiana's Frederick Bachman Leiber Memorial Award for Distinguished Teaching, Distinguished Service Awards from NRPA, the American Camping Association, and the Association of Interpretive Naturalists, and the State of Indiana's top award, Sagamore of the Wabash.

Carlson obituary.

GOLD, SEYMOUR M. (1933-2002) Founder. Ph.D., Michigan, 1969. Professor, Environmental Planning, California-Davis.

Professor Seymour (Sy) Gold passed away in March 2002 after a lengthy illness. Dr. Gold earned graduate degrees from Michigan State University in park administration and from Detroit's Wayne State University in urban planning. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in urban and regional planning. Dr. Gold served as a University of California professor for 30 years in the departments of Environmental Horticulture & Environmental Planning & Management at UC Davis. Dr. Gold's main research interest was park and recreation and open space preservation in urban areas. He taught classes in urban and regional planning and recreation planning, and was author of two books, Recreation Planning and Design and Urban Recreation Planning, and over 250 publications on recreation planning and management. Dr. Gold was a Regent of Pacific Risk Management School, Recreation Safety Expert, and consultant on recreation planning and safety to federal, state, and local park and recreation agencies. He served as Associate Editor, Journal of Leisure Research, and on the Editorial Boards of the International Journal of Environmental Studies and Journal of Leisure Studies, and was Series Editor for Gale Research's Man-Environment Information Guides. As a national and world-renowned authority on park and recreation planning and management, Sy contributed his expertise to many professional groups and recreation agencies; he served as Consultant to the President's Commission on Americans Outdoors, National Safety Council, and U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission on recreation safety. Sy was a Regent of the Pacific Risk Management School, a member of the Recreational Safety Committee of the National Safety Council. He was a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences, and received NRPA's Professional Honor Award in 1995.

Gold obituary.

GRAY, DAVID E. (1918-2005) Founder and First President of the Academy. D.Pub.Adm., U.S.C., 1961. Professor and Vice-President Emeritus, California State-Long Beach.

David E. Gray, the first President of the Academy of Leisure Sciences, passed away June 25, 2005. Born June 21, 1918 in Hollywood, California, Dr. Gray earned his BA in Recreation from Cal State Los Angeles in 1950, MS in Physical Education from UCLA in 1953, and D.P.A. from the University of Southern California in 1958. David began his career in recreation at age 16, working part time for the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, and continued as he started college at UCLA. His career and education were interrupted by WWII. He served with the 70th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, earning the rank of First Lt. and was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service.

After the war he returned to the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, serving as Recreation Director as he completed his bachelors and masters degrees. He joined the faculty at California State University, Long Beach in 1954. Dr. Gray was the founder of the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department and served as the Department Chairman (1954 - 67), Associate Dean in the School of Applied Arts and Sciences (1967-69), and then Vice-President of Administration for the University until his retirement in 1983. During a two year sabbatical (1958-59), Dr. Gray also served as Chief of Special Services, U.S. Third Air Force, London, England as a civilian.

His primary research interests, the nature and meaning of recreation experience, and organizational behavior, are reflected in co-authored or edited texts such as Motivation and Modern Management and Reflections on the Park and Recreation Movement , along with numerous articles. Dr. Gray served as Visiting Professor at a number of U.S. Universities including: University of Hawaii, San Jose State University, Oregon State University, University of Massachusetts and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Honorary Lecturer: BYU, Southern Illinois University, Central Washington University and USC. Dr. Gray chaired Long Beach's Recreation Commission for many years and the NRPA/AALR's Council on Accreditation.

He received numerous awards including the NRPA's National Literary Award and National Professional Award, SPRE's Distinguished Service Award, and California Park and Recreation Society's Fellow and Life Member Awards. One of the most satisfying awards Dr. Gray received was being named "Professor of the Year" by the Associated Students in 1965. The Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies created the David Gray Award which is now awarded annually to an undergraduate recreation major for exemplary service to the department and the community through recreation.

Dave was a visionary with his feet solidly on the ground. He anticipated developments in California and the nation that were to have tremendous consequences for our profession, and he sensed these long before they were apparent to most observers. He not only had the ability to see where we were headed and the implications of those trends, but also to write and speak clearly about them. Because of what he did and the kind of a person he was, recreation and park professionals held him in extremely high regard.

HOWE, CHRISTINE Z. (1951-1997) Elected 1993. Ph.D., Illinois, 1973.

Dr. Christine Howe was Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, SUNY Brockport. Her research interests were in program assessment and evaluation, research methods, and leisure behavior and delivery systems. Dr. Howe was a co-author and co-editor of two textbooks and published numerous articles and book chapters relative to her research foci. She co-chaired NRPA's Leisure Research Symposium three times, served on the NRPA/AALR Council on Accreditation, co-chaired the SPRE Institutes on Teaching and Research, and was a member of the SPRE Board of Directors. She served multiple terms as an Associate Editor or Book Review Editor for publications including the Journal of Leisure Research, Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, Leisure Sciences, Leisure Today, Therapeutic Recreation Journal, and Schole. Dr. Howe received several national, state, and regional literary awards.

Howe obituary.

KAPLAN, MAX. (1911-1998) Founder. Ph.D., Illinois, 1951. Professor Emeritus, Leisure Studies, South Florida.

Dr. Max Kaplan's teaching career spanned 43 years, including university service in Florida, Illinois, Colorado, and Massachusetts. At Boston University he was Director of the Arts Center and co-founder of the Greater Boston Youth Symphony. An accomplished violinist, he performed with several orchestras, chamber groups and as soloist. Of his 27 books, Leisure in America: A Social Inquiry, Leisure: Lifestyle and Lifespan, Perspectives for Gerontology, and Leisure: Theory and Policy were among the better known. His most recent books are The Arts: A Social Perspective (1990), Essays on Leisure: Human and Policy Issues (1991) and Barbershopping: Musical and Social Harmony (editor, 1993). Max Kaplan published 40 chapters and about 300 articles in a wide variety of journals, and lectured and consulted throughout the U.S. and Europe, including the governments of Iran, Poland, Israel, and such agencies as the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Kaplan obituary.

KRAUSE, RICHARD G. Founder. Ed.D., Columbia, 1951. Professor Emeritus, Recreation and Leisure Studies, Temple.

Primarily known as an educator, Dr. Krause taught at the University of Utah and SUNY-Cortland, and headed recreation and leisure-service curricula at Teachers College, Columbia, Lehman College of the City University of New York, and Temple. He wrote over 35 textbooks and monographs, including several widely used texts in recreation fundamentals, program planning and leadership, and therapeutic recreation. Dr. Krause served as a consultant to many agencies, including the Job Corps, the Office of Economic Opportunity, the YWCA, and numerous colleges and public agencies. He carried out planning studies for the cities of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and conducted national studies on urban recreation and parks. Dr. Krause received SPRE's Distinguished Fellow Award, Nash Scholar Lecture Award by AALR, and was given the National Literary Award by NRPA. After his retirement from Temple University, he continued to teach there as an adjunct faculty member and to write professionally.

MUNDY, JEAN C. (Died 2009) Founder. Ed.D., Teacher's College, Columbia, 1972. Professor Emeritus, Human Services and Studies, Florida State.

Dr. Mundy was best known for her work in the area of leisure education and assessment in therapeutic recreation. Dr. Mundy developed the first instrument to assess the recreation functioning of the trainable mentally retarded. She was a Consultant to the United Nations, the Department of Defense, the Australian and Bermuda Governments, the German Broadcasting Association, and the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation. She conducted training for the U.S. Air Force and for Navy Moral, Welfare and Recreation personnel in the Orient, Europe and the U.S. Before becoming Head of the Department of Human Services and Studies at Florida State, she was Coordinator of the Leisure Services and Studies Program. Jean started her career at FSU in 1965 as an Assistant Professor and at that time held a joint appointment in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and the Department of Special Education.  In this position, Jean did undergraduate teaching in both departments and began developing the Therapeutic Recreation curriculum at FSU.  Jean was very involved in administering federal and state training grants with the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped and the Florida Health and Rehabilitative Services.  As a principal investigator, Jean was successful in writing grants to garner more than $1.6 million for FSU. Jean also brought state, national, and international visibility to FSU through her textbooks, speaking engagements, and workshops.  Jean was one of the first faculty members to conceptualize the leisure education process and publish the first book on the topic, Leisure Education: Theory and Practice (1st edition, 1979).  Her second book, Leisure Education: A New Paradigm for a New Age, was published in 1998. In 1998 Jean was recognized for her outstanding publications in leisure education and received the National Literary Award given by the National Recreation and Park Association.  Jean's was recognized as a "Legend" in the field of parks and recreation by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administrators in 2003.

NEULINGER, JOHN. (Died 1991) Founder. Ph.D., New York, 1965.

Dr. John Neulinger was, at the time of his death, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the City College of New York, Director of the Leisure Institute in Dolgeville, New York, and Chair of the Society for the Reduction of Human Labor. Dr. Neulinger was widely recognized as one of the pioneers of the study of psychological aspects of leisure and the author of numerous articles on that topic, the "What Am I Doing" (WAID) scale, and books including The Psychology of Leisure, To Leisure: An Introduction, and The Road to Eden, After All: A Human Metamorphosis. Dr. Neulinger's perspectives on the relationship between freedom and leisure were influenced, much like those of Viktor Frankl's, by his experiences in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. In his final years, he came to believe that society was rapidly moving toward a post-industrial phase in which technology would provide the means to minimize human labor and that human beliefs and values needed to be developed that would embrace such a change.

SAPORA, ALLEN V. (1912-2004) Founder. Ph.D., Michigan, 1952. Dean Emeritus, Applied Life Studies, Illinois.

Allen Victor Heimbach Sapora, 91, Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Leisure Studies, and former Dean of the College of Applied Life Studies at the University of Illinois, died in his sleep at Clark Lindsey Village in Urbana early Tuesday, January 20, 2004. Dr. A. V. Sapora was one of the pioneers in recreation education and research, and his efforts have been recognized on the state, national, and international levels. Al Sapora was born on December 23, 1912, in Renovo, PA to a family of seven brothers and one sister. He was awarded a B.S. from the University of Illinois in 1938 earning highest honors, the Bronze Tablet. He was Big Ten and NCAA Wrestling champion and received the Big Ten Conference Medal as the school’s most outstanding athlete-scholar. Al was a member of Acacia Fraternity and the Tribe of Illini. He earned an M.S. in 1940 from the U of I, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1952. He is author of numerous publications including “The Theory of Play and Recreation”, 1948, and “A Comparative Study of Leisure Services in Hungary and Illinois,” 1981. In 1998 the Rockford Park District dedicated “The Sapora Playworld”, in deep appreciation to “Doc Sapora” whose vision, creativity, and leadership helped develop the Rockford Park District. The Univerity of Illinois' Allen V. Sapora Award is given annually in his memory to one of the world's top leisure scholars. He was a founding member of the Academy of Leisure Studies.

Sapora obituary.

SCHREYER, RICHARD (1945-1991) Elected 1987. Ph.D., Michigan, 1974.

Richard Schreyer is remembered for his research on the psychological aspects of leisure in outdoor settings. After completing his PhD, Rich taught recreation and natural resource management for 17 years at Utah State University. There, he quickly established himself as one of the most thoughtful researchers on crowding and carrying capacity problems with his studies of Western whitewater rivers. He served on the National Park and Conservation Association Carrying Capacity Advisory Panel (1982-1985) and in 1984 edited a special issue on carrying capacity for Leisure Sciences. His research contributions over the years gave us a broad and lasting understanding of inter-activity conflict, the diversity of meanings and values attached to natural environments, and equity issues associated with changing patterns of recreation use of natural areas. At the time of his passing he was on faculty at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. Academically, he is remembered for his theoretical prowess, but through more than a decade of teaching an annual U.S. Forest Service Recreation Short-Course, he inspired hundreds of recreation professionals with his ability to connect cutting-edge theory to everyday practice. His particular gift was being able to make sense of lofty ideas in ways others found appealing and useful. That love of ideas was addictive to Rich Schreyer's students and colleagues, and is his most important legacy.

Schreyer obituary.

SESSOMS, H. DOUGLAS (1931-2008) Founder. Ph.D., New York, 1959.

Dr. Sessoms was, for most of his career, professor of leisure studies and recreation administration at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. His scholarly interests included acts of professionalism such as certification, accreditation and professional preparation; sociology of leisure; and the nature and role of the leisure service delivery systems. He contributed significantly to our literature and authored, co-authored or edited several text books. He was President of the Academy and President or Chair of the NRPA/AALR Council on Accreditation, SPRE, the National Examination Certification Committee, and the North Carolina Recreation and Park Society. He received NRPA's National Literary Award and Distinguished Professional Award, the University of Illinois's Brightbill Award, New York University's Distinguished Alumnus in Recreation Award, Distinguished Fellow Awards from SPRE and the North Carolina Recreation and Park Society, and the Southern Region Harold D. Meyer Award.

Sessoms obituary.

TWARDZIK, LOUIS F. (1925-2005) Founder. MS, Indiana 1950.

Louis F. Twardzik earned his BS degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1948, his MS and doctorate degrees in Park and Recreation Resources from Indiana University in 1950, and completed additional graduate work in Political Science at Wayne State and Michigan State Universities. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps in WWII and the Korean Conflict. His career began in the State of Tennessee as Director of State Parks and brought him to Michigan State University in 1960 as an assistant professor and extension specialist in the Department of Resource Development. He was appointed Professor and Chairman of the Department of Parks and Recreation Resources until 1982. As senior professor he served as teacher and advisor to students majoring in Park and Recreation Resources and as Park Recreation specialist for the Cooperative Extension Service. Retiring in 1991, he continued to work as full time volunteer for MSU as Professor Emeritus and the Director of several international, national and statewide projects and invited lecturer for undergraduate and graduate level classes. He received many awards throughout his career, and authored numerous publications, and held more than 150 appointive and elected offices in state, national and international professional societies and associations, Following his retirement, the Department of Park and Recreation Resources, of MSU, created the Louis F. Twardzik Distinguished Alumni Award which is now awarded annually. Throughout his life, he always remained focused on his family, his faith and his commitment to education.

VAN DER SMISSEN, BETTY. (1927-2008) Founder. J.D., Kansas, 1952 and Re.D., Indiana, 1955.

Dr. van der Smissen served on faculty at Penn State, Bowling Green, Iowa, Michigan State, Northern Iowa and Arkansas. A member of the bar, she was author of a 3-volume reference book (1990 with 1995 supplement), Legal Liability and Risk Management for Public and Private Entities. In addition to teaching and researching in the law, she compiled research and scholarly materials on recreation, as reflected in a series of 12 publications while Professor at Penn State, three from symposia she directed: Evaluation Strategies: Assessing Outdoor Program Outcomes; Indicators of Change in the Recreation Environment; and Research: Camping and Environmental Education. She was one of the founders of the Journal of Leisure Research. For a number of years, Dr. van der Smissen also compiled and published Theses and Dissertations in Recreation and Parks, and Research in Camping, Interpretive Services and Environmental Education. She is the principal editor of The Management of Park and Recreation Agencies, a 1999 833-page reference manual based on CAPRA standards for agencies, as well as author of 16 chapters in various books. She has been active in the development and implementation of accreditation standards, particularly for academic curricula, camping, adventure programs, and public park and recreation agencies. A former President of the American Camping Association, Trustee of NRPA, and member of the academic Council on Accreditation, she was AALR's first Nash Scholar Lecture Award recipient and also received AAHPERD's R. Tait McKenzie Award and SPRE's Distinguished Fellow Award. A member of the agency Commission on Accreditation, she served as its first chair in 1993-94. She served on the Board of Directors of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration.

van der Smissen eulogy.

VOELKL, JUDITH. (Died 2009). Elected 2006. Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University. Professor, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University.

Judi Voelkl's research focused on quality of life issues among older adults residing in nursing homes. She conducted a number of studies aimed at furthering our understanding of the time use and quality of daily experiences among elders and worked with several nursing homes undergoing culture change and is examining the efficacy of staff training on the frequency and quality of elders' involvement in recreation activities both within their homes and the community-at-large. Judi served as Co-Editor of the Annual in Therapeutic Recreation and Associate Editor of Therapeutic Recreation Journal, Leisure Sciences, and Activities Directors Quarterly. In 2005 she was awarded the Scholarly Achievement Award from American Therapeutic Recreation Association. She served on the Board of Directors of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (2006-2008). During her leisure time she enjoyed walking her dog, quilting, meditating, and playing with her nephews. Though her life was cut short before its time, Judi's contribution to our profession was immeasurable. Her commitment to improving the quality of life of the elderly will continue to make a difference for years to come.