Richard E. Johns "Impressive Talents Well Spent... A Public Trust Idealistically Borne"

by Joan Arden
Glenview Park District

" I know that Richard E. Johns is not in the academic field," remarked a university's academic vice president with unaccustomed humility, "but on the day he conferred with us, Mr. Johns was possibly the brightest person on this entire campus."

It was a historic moment for a young professor named Nick DiGrino and his fellow members of that university' s park and recreation department. They suddenly felt the pride that comes with acceptance into the inner circle of academia.

"Even then, Dick Johns was the ultimate practitioner," says DiGrino. "Yet his scholarly presence on the evaluation and accreditation team gave our department full academic stature."

For Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) members, practitioners and teachers, the approaching retirement of Richard E. Johns, general superintendent of the Glenview Park District for the past 34 years, underscores the magnitude of his service to the parks and recreation profession.

"He is an institution," according to more than one leader in the field. Johns has pioneered innumerable advances in this profession; he has demonstrated that text book standards are practical; that long range planning and constant evaluation are basic to a needs meeting philosophy; and that recreation can be a major influence in the lives of individuals and communities.

Many professionals in the Midwest have met Johns during his

service as a guest instructor at the graduate schools of the universities of Illinois and Indiana, as a member of university curriculum evaluation teams, as a consultant to various Illinois park boards, as the author of feasibility studies for several park districts, as a member of IPRA boards and committees, and as the author of long-range master plans for many park districts.

Johns has also contributed to professional publications on subjects that ranged from golf course income to self-directed senior programs, starting with the ground-breaking article, "Why Not Preschoolers?" published in 1958.

Twice elected as president if IPRA, he was the 1983 recipient of the Robert Artz Award for Outstanding and Meritorious Service.

"Mr. Johns is a dedicated professional," said Catherine Crowley, long-time commissioner for the Glenview Park District. "His management style has enabled him to work well in the training of young professionals in the leisure field. His poise serves us well in meetings with the public, as does his cooperative spirit in dealings with other public agencies."

Commissioner Judy Beck said, "At annual conferences, professionals from all parts of the state would introduce themselves to me as former field work students and would express their gratitude for the time and lessons learned in Glenview under Dick Johns."

Dick Lawson who presented Johns with a plaque of apprecia-

tion from Indiana University during the Glenview community's tribute Oct. 24, reiterates the value of Johns' interest in the young professionals. "He has provided internship opportunities to a host of young students who value the wisdom of such a successful practitioner. I agree wholeheartedly with their assessment. They need exposure to practical experience and Dick Johns has a wealth of experience to share," he said.

DiGrino agrees, "We have found, as well, that he is interested in the professional development of each person on his staff. Look at his many staff members who have gone on to successful leadership careers in other districts. Look at the continued achievements of the park district staff he supervises. He develops the individuals who work with him." Bob Quill, a staff member who is manager of the Glenview Ice Center, echoed this in his farewell album note, which simply said, "Bosses are plentiful, but teachers are a rare commodity."

Service to his community
When Johns arrived at the Glenview Park District in 1956, the district owned 10 parks, a golf course and a swimming pool. Its annual budget was $249,500; its population, 13,560; its assessed valuation was less than $71 million. However, it had lots of children and a great need for recreation programs.

Within two years, a bond issue was proposed and approved which enabled the district to acquire six more parks and to improve eight others. Mutual lease/maintenance agreements with three school districts followed.

The first decade or Johns' tenure saw explosive population, especially neighborhood park activities. By 1962, more than 68,300 children had taken part in neighborhood playground programs that Johns created.

In local parks a child between the ages of 5 and 15 could participate without fee in supervised activities all summer which included sports, games, inter-park softball competitions, and special trips. A fee of 50 cents would pay for three months of arts and crafts instruction. A $1 fee would admit teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 into the Junior Tennis Club and its twice-weekly league.

Some of those early offerings are still popular. In the almost 40 years of Johns' tenure, continuing needs assessment surveys have effectively predicted changes in consumer acceptance of programs.

Decades of growth
By Johns' 10th anniversary with Glenview, the population in the district had grown to 40,765. The assessed valuation was almost $158 million with a budget $618,300. The swimming pool at Roosevelt Park had been renovated. Greenhouses had been constructed. A new clubhouse had been built for the golf course. Gold Fish Day at the end of each summer attracted more than 1,000 kids and parents alike. Tennis courts and outdoor lessons were in demand.

In 1970, the district lobbied for the passage of the first

revenue bond legislation in Illinois. Two weeks after its passage, local voters approved the construction of a four-court indoor tennis club. As a prototype, the Glenview Indoor Tennis Club was successful, repaying its 10-year bonds in four years solely through user fees. A later addition has enabled 80,000 patrons to play at the club this year alone. The club won the U.S. Tennis Association's Facility Award in 1989.

The park district won its first Gold Medal Award of the National Sports Foundation, Inc. in 1970.

By Johns' 20th anniversary, the park district was serving a population of 46,713 with a budget of $2,253,000. Other revenue bond issues had built the Glenview Ice Center and renovated its parks. Meanwhile, a historic landmark had been acquired.

The making of a monument
The Glenview Park District had earned a reputation for thoroughly researching and planning the responsibilities it undertook. So, the park district was asked to come to the rescue when The Grove, the homestead of the pioneer Dr. John Kennicott, founder of the Prairie Farmer magazine in the mid-1800s, when it was scheduled to be sold to developers. A group of Glenview citizens formed a "Save The Grove" Committee which — after stalling the developers with two state legislators' bills — championed the successful park district referendum that led to the acquisition of an 82-acre nature preserve and historic site which, in 1976, became a National Historic landmark.

"We who organized the Save the Grove Committee will be forever grateful to Richard Johns," said Gloria Buzard, a former journalist and activist.

"We felt that The Grove, as a beautiful woodland area, had the potential for providing a passive kind of recreation; but it was Dick Johns who foresaw the significant role that The Grove now plays in historic, environmental and other scientific research, as well as in childhood education. There is no question that if he had not been foresighted. The Grove would have been lost forever," she said.

Buzard also pointed to another characteristic that has added to Johns' reputation in his community and his profession. "We're grateful, too, that from the moment the Glenview Park District took the responsibility for the preservation of The Grove, everything that was done was first-rate. Consultants were the finest, including Dr. Paul Sprague of the Illinois Historical Association; Charles Gregerson, architect noted for the authenticity of his historic renovations; Cassie Nawrocki, landscape architect who studied with leading historic botanists. They all were topflight. That may be why funding has come from all levels of government, as well as from private sources," she said.

Buzard added, "Mr. Johns' courage: It was phenomenal in that he appointed a Citizens' Advisory Committee at a time when similar groups elsewhere had proved to be a problem. We were organized for a definite job, restoration planning, with a definite

dissolution date. That was 17 years ago, and we continue now as The Grove Heritage Association, a citizen support group devoted to preserving The Grove and continuing its reconstruction."

In 1977, as Johns embarked on his third decade of service, the park district won an unprecedented second Gold Medal Award.

The recycling advantage
The board of the park district, from its earliest days, looked favorably on the mutual lease/maintenance agreements with the Village of Glenview and with the five school districts within its borders.

"We recycle all resources," said Johns. The district's present headquarters building is the former Village Hall, acquired on a 99-year lease. The district's former headquarters is now leased to the Community Service Agency.

Bill Zanoni, president of the board of park commissioners, credits Johns with being instrumental in developing Glenview's strong spirit of cooperation between the Village, schools and parks by developing programs of shared facilities.

"Johns and the board believed that the same group of taxpayers should not pay for the same building more than once," said Crowley. "The Rugen School was an excellent example of how the spirit of cooperation fostered by Johns has been of mutual benefit to schools, the park district, the Village and township — and of immense benefit to the taxpayers of the community."

Zanoni cited the acquisition of various parcels of property which make up The Grove and the development of Flick Park from a relatively small park to a 39-acre community park through cooperative agreements.

Expressing regret at Johns' retirement, but profound gratitude for past service and best wishes for the future, Zanoni wrote in the Glenview Park District brochure, "Richard E. Johns, General Superintendent of the Glenview Park District, has faithfully administered the development of our park district for 34 years. Recognized within his profession as a brilliant innovator and academician, he has maintained a low profile in his own community.

"Yet his achievements surrounds us: parks which provide beauty and passive enjoyment in our stress-laden world; recreational programs enriching all ages; and award-winning facilities in which we pursue our special interests...As you look through this brochure, remember that all of the beautiful resources, the facilities and opportunities for your recreational enrichment are the results of Richard E. Johns' dedicated service. As he prepares to retire from public service to those leisure pursuits of private life, please join the Board of Commissioners and staff in wishing him well. Thank you for a job well done, impressive talents well spent, and a public trust idealistically borne."

About the Author

Joan Arden is director of public relations at Glenview Park District where she has been employed since 1985.