The AAPRA commits to promote, nourish, and embody an inclusive and equitable environment, strengthen our commitment to promote justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, combat systemic and structural racism, and promote a culture of equality for all, through our knowledge advancement, research, education, and scholarly efforts.
The Legends in Parks & Recreation Program creates and shares video interviews of distinguished administrators, educators, citizen advocates and policy makers who have made outstanding contributions to the field of Parks and Recreation. Designed to inspire innovation, promote professional development and foster leadership in the field, the Legends videos share personal backgrounds, professional insights, advice and philosophical beliefs. Each video is approximately 30 minutes in length and is available online and in DVD format.
Through one-on-one interviews, administrators, educators, citizen advocates and policymakers share stories about their contributions to the profession. The interview records the Legend's personal background, professional insights, advice and philosophical beliefs.
The Academy's Legends in Parks and Recreation Program was initiated by Robert Toalson in 1981. Through the years more than 100 interviews have been recorded including such notables as Dr. Edith Ball, Conrad Wirth, Robert Crawford, William Penn Mott, Patricia Delaney, Charles Jordan, Ford Hughes, Karla Henderson, Ira Hutchinson, Fran Mainella, Leon Younger, John McGovern and Robert Stanton. Early videos are 45 minutes in length. Newer videos are now approximately 30 minutes in length. Legends videos are currently being moved to a new platform and will be available for viewing shortly. Additionally, using excerpts from the individual Legends interviews, themed videos have been created, and more are in the works.
This content of this story of AAPRA’s Legends brings to light several common denominators that have led to legendary status for scores of men and women who have dedicated their lives to parks and recreation. Despite their diversity of life experiences, academic backgrounds, and professional specializations, the Legends we studied were united by a belief in the importance of parks and recreation to enhance the quality of life, a passion for their work, and an ability to do whatever it took to get the job done. The lessons they taught are enduring and are likely to remain as relevant in the future as they have been in the past. The lessons do indeed reflect a historical pattern of park and recreation statecraft.
This is a two-part series dedicated to the National Park Service (NPS). In this presentation we trace the history of the national parks from their sketchy origins in the 1800s, to the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916, to the development of a widely admired and emulated national park system that recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. Along the way we discuss contested claims for the national parks, including the campfire creation story and Wallace Stegner’s proclamation that the national parks are America’s “best idea.” We also characterize the national parks as “unfinished business,” and recount the history of the National Park Service through the eyes of seven of its former directors who have been designated “Legends” by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. Finally, we discuss the prospects for the national parks in an increasingly urban and ethnically, culturally, and racially diverse society.
In this story, John McGovern, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration’s (AAPRA’s) former President, discusses the dedication, hard work, and perseverance of parks and recreation professionals creating access. “Recreation for all” is not a platitude. It is an aspiration for a profession that prides itself in ensuring access for all Americans to the life enhancing benefits of recreation engagements. Neither is “recreation for all” easily come by. Obstacles abound in the form of personal, social, cultural, economic, and environmental barriers that prevent all too many individuals from enjoying fully our nation’s recreational bounty.
The Life of Mind story checks in with university legends. What is academic life like? What drives people to complete their K through 12 education, pursue a bachelor’s degree at a college or university, strive for a Master’s degree, stretch themselves even further in quest of a doctoral degree, and then commit themselves to writing “term papers” for life? Listen to these American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) Legends discuss their academic lives and judge for yourself whether this calling is for you.
In this video we explore AAPRA Legends views of women making a difference in parks and recreation. In the field of parks and recreation, “women’s work” has never meant the same thing as in other walks of life. Women’s work does not describe a category of domestic chores carried out by mothers and wives in the care and nurturance of a family. In parks and recreation, women’s work describes a history of expanding professional responsibility carried out by women in the care and nurturance of a profession. From Jane Addams, a Nobel Prize-winning social worker at the turn of the 20th century, who single-handedly assisted immigrant families in adapting to their new homeland at Hull House in Chicago, to our very own 21st century Jane Adams, the American Academy for Park, and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) Legend who cared for and nurtured the California Park & Recreation Society through an extensive period of growth and development, women have played a significant role in advancing the cause of parks and recreation in the United States.
The story illustrates the park and recreation profession’s role in expanding America’s liberal democratic tradition through the life of one individual, Robert G. Stanton, the first African American Director of the National Park Service and a legend in the field of parks and recreation. Mr. Stanton’s rise within the ranks of the National Park Service parallels the larger unfolding story of the United States of America’s progress in extending ethical consideration outward, and thereby serves as a compelling example of our nation’s progress toward a more perfect union.
This story focuses on one of the key values in the parks and recreation profession. The park and recreation professions are populated with men and women who pay it forward in countless ways daily. While most of their selfless acts go unpublicized, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration’s (AAPRA’s) Legends video series recounts a history of selfless acts of mentorship that have carried the profession forward from its early beginnings to the present day, and in so doing demonstrate the wisdom of paying it forward to ensure a brighter tomorrow for the park and recreation profession.
This Legends story focuses on Dr. Joe Bannon, University of Illinois. Among Dr. Bannon’s many honors, the American Academy for Park, and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) has designated him a “living legend” in parks and recreation. Embedded in that interview are seven characteristics of highly effective leaders Dr. Bannon gleaned from extensive interviews with upper management officials at some of the world’s most successful companies, including Panasonic, Japan Airlines, Nippon Steel, Texas Instruments, Xerox, 3-M, Trans World Airlines and Eastman Kodak. The insights he gained from those interviews provide insightful food for thought for anyone who aspires to lead in parks and recreation.
The video "Dare to Dream Big" celebrates the spirit of creativity and innovation within the parks and recreation profession by highlighting the inspiring careers of four American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration Legends: Robert Frazer, Robert Toalson, Joseph Curtis, and Robert Crawford. Each of these leaders reimagined public spaces and services in their communities, transforming underutilized areas into iconic urban amenities, empowering staff to take creative risks, and prioritizing inclusive and forward-thinking recreation initiatives. From Frazer’s transformation of San Antonio’s Riverwalk to Crawford’s massive expansion of Philadelphia’s Park system, the video underscores how daring visionaries shaped the social and physical fabric of American cities. It concludes by affirming that these leaders’ legacies—rooted in courage, optimism, and the pursuit of public good—serve as enduring reminders of the power of innovation to enrich civic life.
The video "Doing More with Less" traces the transformation of the parks and recreation profession in response to major funding cuts beginning with California’s Proposition 13 in the late 1970s. Once heavily supported by public tax dollars, the field was forced to adapt to an era of fiscal austerity. John Crompton, a marketing expert, emerged as a key figure by teaching professionals how to use business strategies to justify and sustain public services. As funding challenges grew, collaboration and partnership became essential, shifting the profession’s identity from autonomous public service to a key player in community-building and social infrastructure. Legendary figures like Max Ramsey, Chris Jarvi, Fran Mainella, James Colley, and David Gray emphasized the importance of networking, coalition-building, and staying rooted in a social service ethic. The video argues that successful leadership in parks and recreation today hinges on creativity, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to community well-being.
The video "The Meaning of Professionalism" explores what it truly means to be a professional in the field of parks and recreation, as reflected in the life philosophies and careers of four AAPRA Legends: Chris Jarvi, John Potts, Karla Henderson, and John Crompton. These leaders exemplify professionalism not through credentials alone, but through deep commitment to public service, personal integrity, and a passion for improving lives. Jarvi views the profession as a calling grounded in public ethics and continual learning. Potts advocates for a blue-collar ethic focused on empowering marginalized communities. Henderson champions the importance of joy, equity, and inclusion in recreation, particularly for women. Crompton emphasizes the need for passion, vision, and meaning, reminding us that professionalism is about making a lasting difference rather than acquiring material success. Collectively, they assert that true professionalism in parks and recreation lies in purpose-driven service, sustained enthusiasm, and a profound respect for the field’s role in enhancing public well-being.
The video "Parks and the People: An Examination of Ideology" explores the evolving philosophy of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), emphasizing the tension within its “dual mandate” to both protect natural and cultural resources and provide for public enjoyment. Through historical perspectives and testimonies of key NPS figures like Stephen Mather, Horace Albright, Russell E. Dickenson, William Penn Mott, Jr., and Robert Stanton, it highlights how the agency has balanced resource conservation with inclusive public engagement. The script argues that the success and future relevance of the NPS hinge on maintaining this balance—ensuring access, fostering stewardship through education and programming, and promoting cultural relevance in a diversifying and urbanizing America.