Harry Burns - Grand Rapids

Harry Burns was a dedicated professional in the recreation and parks field for more than 43 years. As the Recreation Director for Grand Rapids, Michigan, he was instrumental in establishing numerous recreation experiences for an increasingly diverse population.

Harry was well known by elected officials and community leaders for his diligence in successfully administering a unique, completely co-sponsored recreation program for the City of Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Public Schools. Unlimited use of the city and school facilities was one by-product of this joint operation. This joint sponsorship also resulted in the cooperative construction of three swimming pools at local high schools where recreation and school programs made maximum use of the facilities.

These successful endeavors also prompted Kent County to join in the teamwork and help provide an inner city recreation center still operating today. Harry’s commitment to the profession is further evident in his service on state, regional and national levels. He served as Secretary of the MRPA Board for 5 years and as President (1960). He was a member of the Board of Directors and several committees for many years and helped establish the voluntary registration certification program for the Recreation Association of Michigan.

Harry served as chairman of the NRPA Great Lakes District Advisory Committee and as its representative on the NRPA Professional Advisory Committee. He also served on several committees of the American Recreation Society. During those years of service, he helped spearhead the merging of the NRA, ARS and AIPE into one membership organization, now the NRPA.

Harry is a recipient of the MRPA Fellowship Award; a major highlight was his selection to receive the prestigious NRPA “Professional Excellence Award”.
Harry has been a staunch supporter of the MRPA. He constantly extolled the benefits of membership and becoming active in the organization to his staff. He has made numerous presentations at the MRPA yearly conference sharing his professional expertise with fellow colleagues. He continues to be respected by fellow professionals. Staff at different levels indicate that they benefited from Harry’s leadership, regardless of their positions; he was a positive role model, treating them with respect, interested in their ideas and concerns, a teacher of sorts. He stressed the importance of detail that improved the quality of recreation services provided for the public. He was always cordial in meetings with his own staff or staff from other organizations or representatives from different levels of government. His positive demeanor, demonstrated in pressure situations enabled him to be successful where others would have failed.