Evening star., 1935-05-12
Tam Deering Believed to Be
Choice of Committee Meet.
ing Tomorrow.
new DIRECTOR TO UNITY
FACILITIES OF DISTRICT
Information Service in Mind Of
Group to Assist Sport
Enthusiasts.

Strong indications point to the Sc
lection of Tam Deering Of Cincin-
natl, Ohio. as the Districts super
visor of recreation. under the new
unified set-up.
The Star learned this yesterday,
when 1t became known that the Dis
trict of Columbia Recreation Com
mittee, headed by Frederic A. Delano.
will meet tomorrow at 2:30 pm. in
Commissioner Aliens Office at the Dis
trict Building. It is expected that
after many delays and personal inter-
viewing Of some of the applicants Tor
the post, the committee will be pre-
pared to reach a final decision.
Thomas s. Settle, secretary OF the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, who has been acting as
temporary secretary Of the Recreation
Committee, has been receiving appl-
cations for some weeks past. Recently,
the committee met and selected five
names. considered the best men In
recreation in the whole country.
Those Being Considered.
The five under consideration were:
C. E. Brewer of Detroit, Mich; r.
w. Robertson of Oakland. Calf; Tam
Deering of Cincinnati, Ohio; w. G.
Bachelor of Pittsburgh, Pa, and Ar
thur T. Noren, in charge Of the train
ing school for the National Recrea-
ton Association in New York City.
Some of these men came to Washing
ton for personal interviews with mem
bers of the Delano Committee. but
others indicated that they were salts
fed with their present posts.
The new director of recreation will
be expected to unity recreational IA
cilities here, now scattered between
the National Capital Parks. the Wei
fare and Recreational Association OF
Public Buildings and Grounds. Inc;
the Community Center Department
Of the Public Schools and the Play
ground Department Of the District
Government. He will set up an in
formation service, so that Washing
tonians will have a ready reference
as to just where to go to secure vari-
GUS kinds of sports in which they may
be interested.
The new recreation set-up will be
for one year, and during this time
the Washington situation will be
laboratory. Those in close touch with
the Recreation Committee promise
that, after the National Capital has
tried it. the city will not want to 60
back to the lack of system now OBJ
tanning. Details Of just who is to pay
for the new organization are obscure
at this time, although it is expected
that the National Capital Parks will
bear the brunt of the expense
Staff is Needed.
Officials are hopeful Federal emer-
gency relief workers can be taken of
the unemployment rolls to supply a
staff to the director of recreation.
The director will work out a pro-
gram in which the three major agen-
cies handling recreation here will CO.
operate. Albert Clyde-Burton, as
sistant superintendent of the National
Capital Parks, who has handled de-
tails Of recreational activities in the
parks, including sports, getting ready
for parades and pageants and other
out-of-door events; Miss Sibyl Baker,
director of Fairgrounds for the Dis
trict Government, and Mrs. Elizabeth
K. Peoples, director of the Community
Center Department, are expected to
play leading part in the new sched-
ule. In keeping with the New Deals
policy for the increased use of leisure
time, the recreational facilities here
will be accentuated and additional
opportunities created as funds become
available.
Delano, who is chairman Of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, which had the National
Recreation Association make q report
on recreation here, Is the presiding
officer of the District Recreation
Committee. He Is without a vote
The voting members are: Henry I.
Quinn, outstanding attorney and
member of the Board of Education;
c. Marshall Finnan, superintendent
Of the National Capital Parks, and
Commissioner Allen.