Dr. Edith Ball. B.S, M.A and Ph.D. (1953) from Teachers College, Columbia University. She began her professional involvement in the recreation field in 1931 when she was appointed as director of Physical Education and Recreation in the School of Nursing at Western Reserve University. Ball was subsequently employed by the Works Projects Administration in Baltimore (1937-43); Recreation and Education for the Office of Residence Halls, Washington, D.C. (1943-47); and Stuyvesant Neighborhood House in New York City (1947-50). From 1950-73 Ball served as instructor, assistant, associate, and full professor in the School of Education at New York University, teaching and providing leadership and direction to the program in the areas of recreation leadership and administration, camping administration, and hospital recreation, Ball was active in many organizations including chair of the Hospital Section, Secretary, 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President, President Elect, and President of the American Recreation Society. She also served on the national committee which brought together the organizations that formed NRPA, then member of the Board of Trustees. She also served in various offices with the Society of Park and Recreation Educators and the National Therapeutic Recreation Society. She received awards such as the Distinguished Fellow Award from SPRE (1971), Distinguished Service Award, NTRS (1974); J.B. Nash Scholar Lecturer, AALR (1979); and the Ernest O. Melby Award for Distinguished Service in Human Relations, Alumni Association of the School of Education, New York University (1980). She was also a member of the Academy of Leisure Sciences and the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration. She was also named a Life Trustee of NRPA and was the recipient of the Ralph C. Wilson Award.