The Illinois Association of Park Districts at 75 years young: celebrating three-quarters of a century of citizen advocacy

Parks & Recreation, April, 2003 by Ted Flickinger, Ann Londrigan

1930

The Illinois Association of Park Districts gets its name with the 1930 constitution, adopted and amended on Oct. 17, 1930, at the annual conference held in Springfield. The purpose of IAPD was stated as follows: "To serve as a mutual agency for cooperation among park districts of the state in the practical study and in the opportunity for discussion of park district problems; park policy and administration; gather and circulate information and experience on park district affairs; to secure legislation beneficial to and to oppose legislation injurious to the park districts."

1937

IAPD holds its first regional meeting in Oak Park on Feb. 16, 1937, attended by officials from 25 park boards. Designed to foster networking among neighboring agencies and as a way to bring non-members into the association, these roundtables were held throughout the state. In 1977, they were called "drive-ins." In 1994 they became "regional roundtables," a term still used today.

The Illinois Park Board Bulletin is first published as the statewide newsletter for the Illinois Association of Park Districts. Previous publications were limited to reports published in the Park Board Section of the Illinois Municipal Review and copies of convention summaries.

1941

On July 15, 1941, the association lobbied for Senate Bill 184, which authorized park districts to levy the .05 percent recreation tax. It was approved by Governor Dwight Herbert Green.

1946

For the first time, the Illinois Recreation Association, or IRA (now called the Illinois Park and Recreation Association) held its annual convention at the same time and place as the IAPD, with several joint sessions. It wasn't until 1960 that the two associations continuously held joint conferences.

1948

In June 1948, the association's publication was renamed as Illinois Parks and resized to smaller format. The new size was not as well accepted as anticipated, so two years later the traditional magazine size of 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches was reinstituted.

1951

On May 17, 1951, Governor Adlai Stevenson signed the historic Park Law Codification Bill, combining all the laws relating to park districts in one section of state law. The legislation was initiated six years earlier by the members of the IAPD Codification Committee. The number of IAPD member districts organized in the 55-year-period (1896 to 1950) before codification was 94; in the 37 years after codification (1951-1988), 150 districts were organized.

1953

On June 1, 1953, the association became a full-time organization with a full-time executive director, Marjorie Dickinson. Dickinson is recognized as giving the most continuous and valuable service to the early days of the organization. From 1928 to 1943 she served as assistant to A.D. McLarty, then as secretary of the association until Oct. 1, 1944. She served as executive director until 1985, and was named executive director emeritus upon her retirement in 1966.

1954

On Sept. 22, 1954, the association organized its Past Presidents' Club. The group was composed of past presidents still active as park commissioners. Later, membership extended to any interested past presidents. The club, reportedly, was not as active as it was hoped to be. A Past Presidents Breakfast has been held each year at the association's conference. Past IAPD board members now are loosely organized as the "Ambassadors Club," and serve as advisors and representatives and in new member recruitment.