Scientist and author Carl Sagan is quoted as saying, “You have to know the past to understand the present,” and by extension, glimpse the future. As we prepare to celebrate NRPA’s 50th anniversary, it presents a great opportunity to look back over the history of the association to understand how we got to where we are today.
In his “President’s Message” to the attendees of the first NRPA Congress in Washington, D.C., in October 1966, Laurance S. Rockefeller summed up the task of the newly formed association: “Briefly, our task is to help lead the way for the development of a nation-wide recreation and park system, including leadership in all phases of recreation, and to help provide a more beautiful and healthful environment for the benefit of all Americans.”
These words were spoken at a time when the country was experiencing a whirlwind of societal changes that saw youth, women, minority groups and people with disabilities advocating to bring down social, economic and physical barriers to equality and justice. This movement was in part ignited by President John F. Kennedy who had a vision for America that, as a result of his assassination, was carried out by then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson in his domestic program to fight poverty and racial injustice.
In the midst of all this turmoil, more and more families were hitting the ever-expanding interstate highway system, traveling to distant locations to recreate and explore the great outdoors. In 1958, in response to the American public’s growing demand for more and varied recreational opportunities, a bipartisan Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission (ORRRC) was established to determine the country’s outdoor recreational needs for the next 40 years. Both Rockefeller, chair of this commission, and this report would play an instrumental role in the formation of the National Recreation and Park Association.
The Experiment
In August 1965, representatives from four major park and recreation organizations — the American Recreation Society (ARS), the National Recreation Association (NRA), the American Institute of Park Executives (AIPE) and the National Conference on State Parks (NCSP) — met to form the National Recreation and Park Association. The American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA), a fifth organization, was technically part of AIPE and was part of the merger until 1971 when it decided to separate from NRPA, “citing issues of staffing, identity and philosophical relationships.”
Prior to the work of the ORRRC, these organizations were primarily either privately funded volunteer associations with lay citizen leaders or professional organizations with professional leaders. Furthermore, recreation generally had been viewed as programs and services for children, youth and those interested in sports, and parks as places for passive, more solitary activity. Several of the organizations involved in the parks and recreation field had seen the value in having a unified voice and during the 1950s had tried to combine their efforts. It wasn’t until the early 60s, in response to the public’s demand for more outdoor recreational activities and the recommendations in the preliminary reports from ORRRC, that the timing and support for unifying these fields would perfectly align.
But the merger of these similar yet disparate organizations would not be easy. For the NRA, the largest of the founding organizations in terms of financial resources and staff, it was very important to preserve its tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Since it was characterized as a charitable organization operating in the public interest, donors could deduct contributions as tax-deductible gifts. This was not the case for the AIPE and ARS which, for tax purposes, were classified as trade or professional organizations and whose donors were prohibited from deducting their contributions.
Determining the structure and location of the new organization also presented challenges. Members of the ARS and AIPE elected their officers and board members, whereas, members of NRA, a voluntary service organization, had no vote and committee members were appointed by recommendations from the staff. NRA headquarters was located in New York City and AIPE’s headquarters was at Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia.
The consulting firm Booz, Allen and Hamilton Inc., was called in to help the association over both these hurdles. Since one of the goals was to influence public policy on a national level, it was recommended that the new headquarters be located in Washington, D.C. With regard to structure, the organization embraced its dual mission of being a voice for the parks and recreation movement and a service to the profession. The 63 members of the initial board of trustees were reflective of the lay/professional division: 21 lay members from the NRA board, and 21 professional and 21 lay members from the ARS and AIPE organizations.
The Architects
From the outset, NRPA benefited from the leadership of a number of remarkable men and women at the executive and board level as well as on staff. The association’s first slate of executives, with the exception of the philanthropist and environmentalist Rockefeller, who was chosen to be its first president, consisted of leaders from the founding organizations: Frank J. McGinnis of AAZPA was chosen as chair of the Administrative Board with Conrad L. Wirth from NCSP (and at the time, the director of the National Park Service) as vice chair; James H. Evans, the former NRA board chair was elected chairman of the board of trustees; and Luther Gulick, chairman of the Institute of Public Administrators who had been involved with the NRA and Frank Vaydik, superintendent of the Kansas City Department of Parks who had been involved with AIPE, were made vice presidents. In order to keep its dual mission balanced and as part of the compromise negotiated during the merger talks, Joseph Prendergast, former NRA director, and Alfred B. LaGasse, former executive director of AIPE, were chosen as co-executives — Prendergast as the organization’s executive vice-president and secretary and LaGasse as its executive director and general manager.
It should be noted that the IRS did allow the new organization to be classified as a charitable organization with the understanding that, “no substantial part of your activities will consist of carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and you will file forms 900-T if you have any unrelated business income to report imposed by Section 511.” As a result, with the exception of membership dues, all contributions made to NRPA could be fully tax deductible.
For the first 18 months of its existence, NRPA’s focus was on its internal structure and formulating strategies to meet its stated mission. After the first year, Rockefeller and Evans would step down from their respective positions, citing the heavy demands of their work, but would remain on the board. Vice President Gulick’s call for an examination of board policy and delegation of executive and routine activities led to the first reorganization of NRPA’s structure. As a result, the co-Executive Directors Prendergast and LaGasse resigned and their duties were combined into one office. Dr. Sal Prezioso would be appointed to serve as both vice president-secretary and executive director-general manager. Prezioso had been director of parks and recreation for the city of White Plains, New York, and had the skills needed to unify the organization. He became the executive director in 1967.
The association’s architects and their accomplishments are too numerous to detail here. Suffice it to say that whatever the challenge, whether it was to grow the membership, see to its financial well-being or refocus its energy, the right leadership was in place. As emphasized by two past NRPA chairs, Kathryn A. Porter (1989–1991) and Anne S. Close (1986–1988), it was never about one person. The work of NRPA was, and continues to be, a team effort.
Coming into Its Own
According to H. Douglas Sessoms and Karla Henderson, authors of “The Noble Experiment: National Recreation and Park Association 1965-2005,” within the first three years of its existence NRPA was quickly becoming a national voice for parks and recreation. By the second year, they wrote: “…the Association had given nine testimonials and statements to the U.S. Congress about parks and recreation, including on the National Park Foundation Bill and the National Uniform Monday Holiday Bill. In addition, NRPA had supported the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, open space programs of the Housing and Urban Development Department, and National Foundation of the Arts and Humanities.” The trustees felt that elements of the federal-aid Highway Act of 1968 that called for minimizing highway beautification and billboard control would weaken the park protection provisions of the transportation department’s 1966 Organic Act, so they adopted a position in opposition to the bill.
The 1970s was a time of financial stress for the association and the country. In the mid-60s, dues made up 15 percent of the budget; the annual Congress, regional meetings and other educational activities brought in 35 percent; and contributors, grant and contracts accounted for 50 percent. By 1970, membership dues accounted for 65 percent of the budget. An aggressive fundraising effort was undertaken to help make up the loss of contributions and grants, with the goal of being completely self-sufficient by 1975. But, this would prove to be difficult as the country was experiencing a period of high inflation that would not end until the early 1980s.
Despite its financial challenges, NRPA’s public affairs and advocacy efforts continued to make great strides. California passed Proposition 13 in 1978, which negatively impacted parks and recreation programs there, and another 26 states were considering passing similar legislation. NRPA had a hand in designing the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act (UPRRA), which was enacted in 1979 and provided 28 cities with grants amounting to $7.5 million to renovate older urban parks. In the early 1980s, NRPA received a grant from the Consumer Product Safety Commission to develop guidelines and standards for public playground equipment. Another assessment of the country’s recreational needs and resources, similar to the ORRRC report of 1958, was undertaken in 1982. Out of this report came the “Park and Open Space Standards and Guidelines” which would be used across the country to justify community needs for recreations opportunities.
By the time it was celebrating its 25th anniversary, NRPA was again experiencing growth and enjoying a healthy financial state. Partnerships with other like-minded national organizations were instrumental in helping to spread the word about the importance of recreational outlets, particularly in urban environments. Under the leadership of NRPA staff member Don Henkel, the professional development division continued to expand, including securing approval for the association’s accreditation of parks and recreation programs from the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation. And, in 1993, Claude Ahrens, a longtime friend of NRPA, would provide a million-dollar matching fund gift to kick off fundraising to build a new headquarters for the association. This would become a reality when the Ahrens Institute in Ashburn, Virginia, was dedicated, June 27, 1997.
In Summary
NRPA’s financial health would continue to wax and wane, impacted by national events such the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001, and the economic downturn of 2007. Each national election cycle would also involve continued efforts to secure government support for, and recognition of the importance of, recreation.
NRPA has faced many challenges during the course of its 50-year history, but has always maintained its original goal to serve as both a voice for parks and recreation and a support to the professionals who work to advance the field. With the addition of the Three Pillars — Conservation, Health and Wellness, and Social Equity — NRPA continues to expand its focus and build on its strong foundation. Fifty years ago, as now, questions persisted about the primary purpose of recreation and, by association, NRPA. We’re still striving to answer those questions today through innovation, advocacy, professional development and teamwork. Here’s to the next 50 years.
Sonia Myrick is the Managing Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine.