Sixty Years of Leadership

Remarks by John Dattilo at the 3rd Annual RPTM Recognition Banquet, Saturday, March, 31, 2007

In 1946 the College Of Health and Physical Education Senate approved a full-fledged recreation education curriculum in health and physical education that was directed by Dr. Fred Coombs who also taught most of the courses. In the late ‘50s, Fred was instrumental in encouraging the University to set aside 720 acres of experimental forest and build a dam to create a 72-acre lake at Stone Valley Recreation Area. In 1969 and in tribute to the growth and reputation of the program, the College was renamed the College of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Fred continued to serve as Department head until 1972 when he retired after 26 years as the leader of the new department. Faculty emeritus, Geof Godbey, said: Fred set high expectations from the beginning; he required us to give our best: to read, to think, to analyze, to imagine. These requirements served us well then and serve us well today. For me, it is a privilege to have Fred available now to share his wisdom. I learn a great deal each time we are together. It was such a pleasure to dedicate our first RPTM recognition banquet to Fred and his numerous contributions, and to present him with the first RPTM lifetime achievement award.

During the next four years Dr. Tony Mobley successfully guided the department. Tony helped establish Shavers Creek Nature Center in 1976 as a laboratory to accommodate the needs of an increasing number of students interested in interpretation and visitor services. Faculty emeritus, Frank Guadagnolo stated that: Tony always went the extra mile in trying to establish consensus on important departmental issues. He truly was one of the very best administrators in our field. As an undergraduate student, I remember how impressed I was with Dr. Mobley's professional yet friendly demeanor.

The second half of the Department’s 60 year history was marshaled in by Dr. Pat Farrell. Under her leadership the outdoor school and the nature center at Stone Valley were combined into one unit and named the “Shavers Creek Environmental Center.” As one indication of her legacy, in 1983, all of the options that we currently have in place, with the exception of Golf Management, became part of the department. Frank Guadagnolo stated: Pat was respected throughout the entire University Community, as well as the community at large. Pat dedicated her life to advancing not only the department but also a variety of programs both on campus and off. Her selection as the 1998 "Renaissance Person of the Year" underscores Pat's contributions to Penn State and to the community. I value the time when Pat and I were colleagues and listening to her perspective helped me to continue to evolve my thoughts about leadership.

When Pat stepped aside as department head, during the next year Dr. Herbie Lundegren stepped in to serve as chair while the department conducted a national search for a new department head. The search resulted in the hiring of Dr. Dick Shaefer who served the department from 1984-1986. According to retired faculty member, Tom Willson, Dick Shaefer was responsible for advancing the practicum program by encouraging faculty visitations to students at sites beyond the state of Pennsylvania. This developed strong contacts with some of the agencies that would serve as practicum sites for future students.

Once Dick stepped aside it was Dr. Frank Guadagnolo who agreed to lead the department for the next two years. While acting as department head, Frank helped the department maintain its identity during the 1987 merger that created the College of Health and Human Development. This merger brought together two units that shared a common goal of contributing to the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities. Faculty member, Alan Graefe, stated that Frank was always on top of the important issues; he helped to bring accountability to our department and helped prepare us for the future. As a newly hired assistant professor I felt fortunate to start my faculty appointment at Penn State under Frank's guidance. He was always there to talk me through different challenges and readily worked to obtain supports for me. I felt that he cared about me as a faculty member but, more importantly, as a person.

Dr. Herbie Lundegren served as our head on two occasions, as I previously mentioned from 1983-84, and then again from 1988-92 for a total of five years. The department continued to experience transition through Herbie’s skillful guidance. In 1989, the name of the department was changed to “Leisure Studies.” In 1990 the Golf Management Option was established and soon became the largest of the four options under direction of, none other than Frank Guadagnolo. That same year, the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management and the Department of Leisure Studies were combined to create the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Recreation Management. Former student and current faculty member, Ralph Smith, recalled that Herbie’s humanistic approach to teaching and advising set a standard that I have tried to emulate during my career. I consider myself fortunate to have Herbie serve as my academic advisor, colleague, and administrative leader. For me as a young faculty member, Herbie was a terrific administrator; I remember her as being very thoughtful and considerate.

In 1992 Dr. Stuart Mann became the Director of the new School of Hotel, Restaurant and Recreation Management and established a Career and Development Placement Office to assist students with employment following graduation. During his six year tenure, the undergraduate major in Leisure Studies was renamed “Recreation and Park Management” and Shaver's Creek Environmental Center was moved under the administrative oversight of Penn State Outreach. Linda Caldwell stated that: Stuart, being new to both fields that merged, provided expert leadership to bring our two programs together. After Stuart’s departure to become dean of the University of Las Vegas College of Hotel Administration, Dr. Sara Parks, who had been serving as an associate dean for outreach and cooperative extension, became Director of the School from 1998-99.

Her leadership was quickly followed by Dr. Bob Lee who acted as Director from 1999-2000 and ushered in the new millennium. During this time and after, as assistant to the director, Bob helped the school stay the course and found ways to support the expansion of faculty research productivity. Sara and Bob continued to expand the programs and it became apparent to the new Dean, Ray Coward, that these programs were strong enough to return to their roots as two distinct units. 2000 Alum, Robert Burns stated that: Bob is highly respected in the areas of state budgeting, recreation parks and management, and hospitality management. Like Robert, I too was impressed when I learned not only of Bob’s successes as a school leader but also of his commitment to community service through his work in the Peace Corps.

In addition to serving as acting director of the school in the late 90s, Dr. Sara Parks resumed her leadership in 2000 as school director. During her directorship several Affiliated Program Groups were established to keep our alumni better connected and to draw upon their experiences and expertise for the benefit of our students. According to Linda Caldwell, Sara wisely identified the need for some of our research to connect with health and well-being so that we would continue to be relevant to the College and to help solve larger social problems. During her direction, the programs of hospitality and recreation continued their growth and productivity until she retired in 2004. She guided the faculty, staff and students through yet another transition that created the Department, as we know it today, of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management. According to faculty member, Tammy Buckley, Sara’s positive approach to leadership was empowering. Her door and her mind were always open to new ideas, creative approaches to working with us, and to faculty and students when they voiced concerns. She was an inspiration. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to experience Sara’s warm interpersonal skills; she was very gracious when I first began as department head.

And there you have it, our first 60 years of leadership. It is remarkable that there are so many of our leaders who are in attendance at the 2007 RPTM Recognition Banquet so that we might honor them in person for their many contributions. These leaders have created an amazing foundation for our department so that collectively we can continue to make important contributions that enhance people’s lives.