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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1957)
00 1 N TIY Feu; Americana remember Joseph Lee, but largely through hi efforts our children enjoy a Place to Play by Kevin V. Brown i ' La-'' Play is serious work," Joseph Lee once remarked Lee spent most of his life. Including 27 y-ar as president of the National Recreation Association, proving it You could hardly find a more unlikely candidate. Tall and frail and singularly unsuccessful in athletics, he nev ertheless participated in all of them. Thojjgh he came from a wealthy Massachusetts family, his lifelong Interest was giving underprivileged children a chance to participate, too. Next Friday, in playgrounds across the nation, de scendants of those children will salute "the godfather of playgrounds" on the 20th anniversary of his death. As the eulogies are read, they will stand amid the splendor of modern recreational facilities and landscaped parks. But there was little splendor when Lee began his task of finding children a place to play more than SO years sgo. Lee was one of the founders of the Recreation Associa tion in 1906, and in 1910 he became its president, a post he held until his death. In those early years the association was lucky to beg or borrow 30 square feet of vacant lot for a playground. The children played in dust, gravel, and cinders; abrasions and skinned knees were the fees they paid. Their recreation consisted of drills, songs, and marches around the play area. There was little else to do on a bare lot And there were few recreational leaders, no schools or colleges to train them. There was some progress, however. In 1907 it was noted that "another gain has been made . . . the crowds of rough boys who used to gather at the outskirts of the play yard have greatly diminished and fewer appeals have to be made to the police department" The idea, through Lee's efforts, caught on. In 1906 there were 41 cities with playgrounds Today there are 20.000. And in most of them, instead of 30 square feet for playing areas, the recommendation is for five acres for each school district and up to 20 acres for each community. There are large outdoor fields, and large indoor gyms; there are expansive swimming pools, and lights for games after dark. There are 65 schools in 27 states that train recreational leaders, and instead of the handful of leaders of 50 years ago, there are now 76,000. The ideals of Joseph Lee were not summed up in sta tistics, however, and they are still being carried on in playgrounds across the nation. As Lee himself once put it, "There is less need on the playground for teaching baseball than there is for teaching high moral character." WW Joteph Lm'i achievement wat tupplantinq back-alley play raat of World War I era (inset) with modern play grounds Me the ipeciout Detroit beach center (below). , TV 1 Farti !. Sola II. Isr THIS TO AVO MfGUUUtfTY ON fOUR VACATION TRIP Take alone a bos of Kal- loci's All-Braa. Eat a ring (H cup) with milk vary morning. This fives you all the natural laxa tive bulk you nsed daily to keep oa schedule. Deli cious, inexpensive, rendy-to-eat Keilocf's All Bra a. Also available ia the alu minum foil "Individual" packagea at restaurants along the way. TNIM la AGE SPOTS SSI -Waatfcu.au knnaok on too oarfacu of year naaos aaa mm toll ta mid jtm'n fataa aai - aaTnans kaftan jran Many re. Fade tkem away with new KHOTKRICA, that nalialW emm tnat bnaka na mmmm W nianMt oa ln mjn. km eaarhi hot whne ana yaanfaaain. KqenBv eJectiy an Lba tMa,nca ana rat I Not a Acu in U akin aat on k. Framnt, ma km os it ! m At nndrnt en ana tonotry nmn. SI nwn tax. If yoa aa-oona( kiaoa ayoa r a ram mot chwor, liaMar raoTKRICA, At ml Drag I WAKE UP RARIN'TOGO WUUut Nnavkac Bachnclta N I Ym oairtnt Ian Mlf ro aS KiW arW mm4 obioj HMt oW ranai ri ba aletHa 4 niMi Unit 1 full . vavrttoM ar ma mm4 ftrva ywt vaat rmhu4 mmwt H fait 1 Anntnvr SftafaHMt Mr W MM Mkhbr Irrttatloa luW.-l raw hmm Mai SHak - afteo nlap aa a niUia aaeaaifartaaW Mlai Far antra nlkf aX Daaa PNIa. TWr war faat la I apaarau mir - 1 ar aaavr Ma iiHulaa nun to raar MM mi mmm alaff aaraaHai aiaiairan. mi aair acaaa mmd aaiaa t av tWir wwrtMlM HrWt mm Mi l r trrMacaa. i my itmrir MM StaraMa mrtkmm ml a I aataat mi Ika U I aanwai via I war ra. Aat rar arar In an aaa . Oat Daaa't tlmm taaaf I
