Robert L. (Bob) Frazer retired in 1998. After having served in the Army Air Corp and stationed in India, he enrolled at Texas A&M where he received his B.S. in Landscape Architecture in 1948.
While in India he was able to convince authorities that indeed it would be possible to stage an American type rodeo. After much dealing with the Army Quartermaster Corp to build an arena, the British Remount Service for mules and horses and the locals for donkeys and steers, the rodeo was a huge success. The commanding general was so pleased that he suggested a second rodeo for the coming Fourth of July.
After graduating from Texas A&M in 1948 he accepted a position with the San Antonio School District as a high school teacher of horticulture. At the end of the 48/49 school year he accepted a position as an instructor, Landscape Architect and Director of Campus Maintenance and Development at the East Texas State University, now A&M-Commerce.
In 1955 he was appointed Director of Parks and Recreation in San Antonio. He reorganized the department and employed trained professionals for the various divisions.
In 1955 the beautified sector of the river had been badly neglected and became an unsafe place to be, moreover it was off limits to the Military. It was constructed by the WPA in the late thirties and early forties. The beautified sector of the river was a masterful blend of early German Mexican Architecture designed by the very talented San Antonio Architect Robert H.H. Hugman. It was first decided to clean up the river, vastly improve maintenance, and make the river a safe place. The Park Rangers were formed in 1956 to make the river safe, as well as all City Parks.
A master development plan had to be evolved that reflected Hugman's Architecture. Attractive shops, restaurants and entertainment were envisioned in order to bring people down on the river.
Today this very successful urban amenity, almost too successful has become famous as a very popular people place.
Bob says that one of his greatest life pleasures is to have had the privilege to have been involved in the development of the downtown sector of the San Antonio River.
Some of the awards and recognitions received include: Outstanding Service Award, Northeast School District; The HH Hugman Award; elected to Riparian Honor Roll, The American Society of Landscape Architects; San Antonio River Walk Commission; and the Terry Hershey Award, Texas A&M University.
In 1973 Bob was offered a professorship in Park Administration and University Landscape Architecture at Texas Tech University. After a year at Texas Tech Bob accepted an offer to be a Vice President and Partner in a successful multi disciplinary planning and consulting firm based in San Antonio, an offer that he could not refuse.
Bob has had man y professional affiliations in park, recreation and natural resource management field. He is a charter member of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and was declared a legend in the profession. His video in included among the Legends. He is an elected Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects, member of NRPA. Charter member President and Director of the Southwest Park and Recreation Training Institute and holder of the diamond award of the Institute, its highest award. He was the second President of the Texas Turf Grass Association having been instrumental in its organization. Organizer and first President of the Texas Municipal Park and Recreation Association a branch of the Texas Municipal League.
____________________________________
Note: This tribute by John P. "Jack" Hewitt appeared in the Academy Bulletin
Bob Frazer is one of true post World War II Park and Recreation professionals. Bob served his country during World War II as an armorer-gunner in the Air Corps. He served in the Chica-Burma-India theatre on B-52 bombers.
Upon returning to the states, and at the urging of his wife, June, Bob changed his pre-war service career objectives from professional rodeo and ranching to a career in resource planning and management. His ultimate objective was to become an executive of a park and recreation agency.
Bob received a B.S. degree in Landscape Architecture in 1948 from Texas A&M University. Among his classmates were Charles Campbell, Spencer Ellis, and Al LaGasse all of whom later became prominent in the park and recreation profession. Bob and Al formed a team and sold their planning services while at Texas A&M to help support their families.
When Bob graduated in 1948, jobs in parks and recreation were scarce. His first position was with the San Antonio School District as a landscape architect and teacher of horticulture. In 1950 he went to East Texas State University as Director of Campus Maintenance and Development. He also taught horticulture in the School of Agriculture. In addition, not to forsake his first love of the sport of "Rodeo," he organized and coached the University’s first collegiate rodeo team.
In 1955, under the first successful council-manager form of municipal government, Bob was appointed Director of the Parks and Recreation for the City of San Antonio, Texas, and "he was off and running." He quickly recognized the tremendous potential in this romantic and historical old southwestern city. Historic preservation had long been nurtured mainly by the efforts of the San Antonio Conservation Society, which later became Bob’s staunch ally.
Most of the city owned historic sites, as well as the park and recreation facilities, had been allowed to deteriorate during the war period. There had been no park land acquisition or capital improvements since the war. Parks and Recreation had been formally combined with the Sanitation Departments under an elected commissioner with no professional training. Bob made the most of the opportunity to restructure the Park and Recreation Department, and to staff it with professionals.
The San Antonio River Walk, later designated the Paseo Del Rio, was designed in the late thirties and completed in the early forties. The designer was a very talented and visionary architect, Robert H.H. Hugman.
The River Walk did not become a popular place because it appealed only to the sense of sight. It soon became known as an unsafe place to be, and the military declared it "off limits" to all military personnel.
Realizing that in order to make the River Walk a viable people place, Bob knew that it must appeal not only to the sense of sight but also the sense of smell, sound, taste, and participation. In other words, a charming place to see, to eat, to shop, and to recreate. These factors were absolutely essential in order for the River Walk to become an economically viable urban amenity.
Much effort was expended to enlist downtown city leadership, which was accomplished through the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. Finally, an advocacy group was formed, and a master plan by the local AIA Chapter accepted. A design protective group known as the River Walk Commission was appointed and the project was underway.
It was soon realized the personal safety on the River Walk was of paramount importance. The San Antonio Park Rangers Division was formed in 1956 to assure safety on the River Walk as well as all park and recreation properties in the city.
Consequently, the San Antonio River Walk development became an outstanding and famous urban amenity generating millions of dollars in private capital improvements. This did not just happen, it happened because of the vision and dedication of many people who were inspired to become advocates of the River Walk dream. During his tenure as Director in San Antonio, Bob had two revered park and recreation professionals, the great L.B. Houston, Director in Dallas, and Elo Urbanovsky of Texas Tech University, whom he frequently turned to for their sage advice.
Bob immensely enjoyed his association with the able young professionals whom he was able to assist in their careers, all of whom are good friends today.
In 1973 at the urging of Elo Urbanovsky, Bob accepted a position as Professor of Landscape Architecture and Park Administration and University Landscape Architecture at Texas Tech University.
In 1974 Bob succumbed to the lure of higher remuneration stimulated by the need to put two children through college. He entered the private sector full time as a partner in a prominent engineering and landscape architectural firm as Vice-President for park and planning.
Bob recently took Emeritus status as an advisor to the firm. He now greatly enjoys doing some of the things which he was forced to delay. Each year he conducts a horse-back pack trip into the high mountains of Colorado and Wyoming for a wilderness seminar.
Bob is also active as secretary to the AIPE "Deans" group, organized by Frank Vaydik in 1973. Bob is a charter member of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. He is an elected fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and an elected fellow of the Texas Recreation Society. He has been a co-organizer and officer of several allied professional organizations, and was awarded the Diamond Award, the highest offered by the Southwest Park and Recreation Training Institute. Bob has been a resource speaker on many occasions, and he was lead lecturer for a Resource Managers Tour as guest of the People’s Republic of China.
He has truly dedicated his life to the improvement of the Park and Recreation profession. Many former members of AIPE and friends of Bob’s will recall that he is an avid horseman participating in many rodeos throughout the years. As a matter of interest, he was the Promoter/Manager of the first American rodeo ever held on the Asiatic continent while serving in the CBI Theater. He served as program chairman at the last AIPE conference in Houston, and led the rodeo which was part of the entertainment at that conference.
Although Bob has grown older, along with many of us, he still remains an active horseman.
I am pleased that I have had the opportunity to know, work, and socialize with Bob Frazer over the years. This association has indeed enriched my personal and professional life.