January 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 12

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
Remembering Park and Recreation
Leader Herbert Brantley
By Jennifer Fulcher
D
r.
Herbert
" Bert "
Brantley - a leader who dedicated
his life to expanding the field of parks and recreation
- passed away on October 8 at the age of 93. Brantley
served on NRPA's Board of Trustees, first as presidentelect
in 1983 and then as president in 1984, according to the November 2011
issue of Parks & Recreation (tinyurl.com/26av3een).
Brantley attended Appalachian
State Teachers College in North
Carolina and enlisted in the U.S.
Army, where he was trained as a
Russian-English interpreter. After
returning from the military, he enrolled
at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he
earned his bachelor's, master's and
doctoral degrees. He joined the
faculty in the Department of Recreation
and Park Administration
at North Carolina State University
in the early 1960s, according to his
obituary published in The Herald
Times (tinyurl.com/4puthke4).
In 1966, Brantley became the
founding chair of the Department of
Recreation and Park Administration
at Clemson University in South Carolina.
" Dr. Brantley was a legend in
the field - a pioneer and champion
for parks and recreation and its place
in higher education, " says Bob Barcelona,
chair of the Clemson University
Department of Parks, Recreation
and Tourism Management.
Brantley was named associate
dean of Clemson's College of Forest
and Recreation Resources when
it was first formed. During the
1970s, he envisioned an Outdoor
Laboratory that provides camp
opportunities for youth with spe12
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cial needs. In 2021, a space within
the Outdoor Lab was dedicated as
Brantley Place, honoring Brantley
" for his courage, passion and diligence
to move a dream to reality. "
(Read about the dedication of
this space on Clemson University
College of Behavioral, Social and
Health Sciences Facebook page:
tinyurl.com/ypu3h4vk.)
" Dr. Brantley deserves full credit for
the birth of the Clemson University
Outdoor Laboratory as a major part
of the Parks, Recreation and Tourism
[Management] Department at Clemson
University. Without his administrative,
political and financial savvy, the
Outdoor Lab simply would not exist, "
says Charlie White, associate professor
emeritus at Clemson University.
In 1984, South Carolina Governor
Richard Riley presented Brantley
with the Order of the Palmetto, South
Carolina's highest civilian honor recognizing
a person's lifetime achievement
and contribution to the state.
In 1987, Brantley became the
chair of the Department of Parks,
Recreation and Tourism Management
at Indiana University, Bloomington,
where he served until his
retirement in 1994.
In addition to being professor
emeritus at both Clemson University
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
Dr. Herbert
Brantley
dedicated his life
to expanding the
field of parks and
recreation.
and Indiana University, Brantley was
named a fellow at the Eppley Institute
for Parks and Public Lands and
a founding fellow of the Academy
of Leisure Sciences. He also served
as chairman of the South Carolina
Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor
Recreation Council, president of the
South Carolina Recreation and Park
Society, and president of the Society
of Park and Recreation Educators.
He was a member of the South Carolina
Commission for Parks, Recreation
and Tourism and member of
the board of directors for the Textile
Hall Corporation, which formerly
owned the Palmetto International
Exposition Hall in South Carolina.
" Bert and I were good friends and
professional colleagues for about
50 years. He made a tremendous
contribution to park and recreation
education and to NRPA - a giant
in the field, " says Tony Mobley,
dean emeritus, Indiana University
School of Public Health. " He was
a good man. "
To read more about Brantley, visit
parksandrecreation.org.
Jennifer Fulcher is NRPA's Online
Content Manager (jnguyen@nrpa.org).
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN WOLTER, EPPLEY INSTITUTE
FOR PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS
http://www.tinyurl.com/26av3een http://www.tinyurl.com/ypu3h4vk http://www.tinyurl.com/4puthke4 http://www.parksandrecreation.org
January 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2023 - Parks & Recreation
