page_title: New Orleans Recreation Department
section_title: Olive A. Stallings
hierarchical_section_title: New Orleans Recreation Department / History / Olive A. Stallings
caption_attribution_description: New Orleans: Entrance to Olive Stallings Playground on Gentilly Boulevard
context_page_description: The New Orleans Recreation Department is the department of the local government of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana USA, that operates and maintains recreational facilities for the people of the city. It is commonly known by the acronym NORD.
  Formed in 1946, NORD was among the first of its kind in the United States. It won accolades early in its history, being considered progressive by the standards of the mid-twentieth century.
  As of 2010, the New Orleans Recreation Department Commission provides administrative oversight for NORD. In 2017, NORD was accredited by the National Recreation and Park Association. Although its activities emphasize sports, they are not limited to sports and include activities such as music, theater and dance.
context_section_description: Public recreation facilities in New Orleans can be traced to the work of civic leader Olive A. Stallings (1866-1940). Following her attendance at a 1906 meeting of the National Recreation Association in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA, Stallings became interested in providing publicly available recreation facilities in her hometown of New Orleans. In 1906, Stallings funded and established the Poydras Playground which was the first play center in New Orleans.
  Stallings served on the New Orleans Playground Commission from 1911 to 1940 and was the commission's first president. She was the founder and first president of the New Orleans Outdoor Art and Improvement Association which was the forerunner of the New Orleans Parkway Commission. Stallings served on the zoning board of the city and was the founder of the first Girl Scouts organization in the New Orleans. By 1938, aided by Stallings's efforts, New Orleans had 18 playgrounds and 6 swimming pools for purposes of general recreation.
  In 1929, the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper presented Stallings with its Loving Cup Award for her efforts on civic improvement, especially children's recreation. NORD has a Stallings Playground, eponymous to her.
caption: Entrance to Olive Stallings Playground in Gentilly (photo courtesy of Infrogmation)
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