A Short History of the Recreation Department

The Recreation Movement at the turn of the last century led to the first forms of Municipal Recreation in Philadelphia but there were no clearly defined goals. The first public recreation facilities built were Happy Hollow Playground and Starr Garden which officially opened in 1911. Municipal Recreation became a function of the Department of Public Welfare under the 1919 Charter. It was called the Bureau of Recreation. Athletic Recreation Center and Shot Tower Playground were among the first facilities built by the city.

Most of the programs were sports activities held during the summer months for school-age children. A notable exception to this was Doris Grabusic's dance program at Disston Recreation Center which was started in April of 1939 and continued into the 21st Century.

It wasn't until April 17, 1951 that a new Home Rule Charter created the Recreation Department for the "comprehensive and coordinated program of cultural and physical recreational activities to be instituted and conducted in all city recreational facilities."

On January 7, 1952, Joseph S. Clark Jr. became the first mayor under the new City Charter and the Philadelphia Department of Recreation officially came into being. Its first commissioner was entrepreneur Fredric R. Mann. Mr. Mann asked Robert W. Crawford to come from Oakland, California to serve as his Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent. Together, the two men raised the standards of hiring and secured a professional staff to provide a high quality of leadership in the facilities. Mann and Crawford were also determined that recreation serve all people of Philadelphia and year-round programs were begun for women, pre-school children, senior citizens, the handicapped and the city's diverse ethnic groups.

The city charter also called for a cultural program and they added music, drama, dance and arts and crafts opportunities. They also purchased an existing camp in the Pocono Mountains in 1951 and started Camp William Penn the next year.

Later in 1952, Mann left the department to become City Representative and Director of Commerce resulting in Deputy Commissioner Robert Crawford being appointed Commissioner. Crawford instituted a massive building program. He was determined that every neighborhood in the city would have a playground or recreation center.

He also was heavily involved with the historical buildings in our custody: the Atwater Kent Museum, Betsy Ross House and Old Fort Mifflin.
   
Crawford believed in mandatory training in all fields of recreation for each staff member. To guide leaders in special areas, he created three Specialty Offices: Performing Arts, Arts & Crafts and Sports & Athletics. As a result of these Specialty Offices, the following programs were instituted: The Junior Baseball Federation Program, Bike Rodeos, The Holiday Decorations Contest, The Nutcracker Doll Contest, The Bulletin Board Contest, the first One Act Play Competitions and the Traveling Plays and Players. (The current programs of Fire Prevention Plays and the Young Performers Theater Camp have succeeded the latter two programs.)

Other cultural programming milestones in this period were the start of the Vogue Players in 1964 and the Spring Art Show.

In 1970 we purchased our first Showmobile which allowed us to easily take music and shows into the neighborhoods. Philadelphia also hosted the NRPA Convention in 1970.

In the early seventies the Department arranged for our staff to attend Training and Professionalism Courses at Temple University. A couple of activities that were popular in the seventies were the National Soap Box Derby and Model Teens. Today we have the eleven Teen Centers.

Veterans Stadium, a multi-purpose major league stadium, was opened in April, 1971. The Vet was home to the Philadelphia Phillies (NL) and the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) as well as the host site for national concerts

In 1972, the Robin Hood Dell East, under the direction of Deputy Commissioner Ted Jordan, created a summer musical series that featured opera, ethnic festivals and such jazz greats as Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. The Urban Contemporary People's Venue now presents a musical season known as Essence of Entertainment. The Dell East has recently presented entertainers Gladys Knight, The Whispers, Maxi Priest, Jonathan Butler, Michael Colyar, and Philly jazz legends Pieces Of A Dream.

Another achievement in 1972 was the creation of Carousel House, our recreation facility specifically providing services for persons with disabilities. This facility was started in the actual building that housed Fairmount Park's Carousel.

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