Robert Toalson was one of the charter members helping to organize the American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration. He was instrumental in organizing the first video tapings of Academy members for the Legends in Parks and Recreation Series. These tapings were done in 1981 in Minneapolis. Toalson has served as President of the Academy, President of the National Recreation and Park Association, the American Park and Recreation Society, and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. He served as a National Recreation Intern with the Philadelphia Recreation Commission, as Assistant Director and Director of the Oak Park Illinois Recreation Department and as General Manager of the Champaign Illinois Park District. Toalson was the co-author of a textbook "Administration of Recreation, Park and Leisure Services" with Dr. Lynn Rodney.

Toalson wrote the book "History of American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration" and he co-authored "Developing Community Support for Parks and Recreation" and "Parks and Recreation in the 21st Century"Chapters one and two." He was co-chair of the Ahrens fund-raising committee that raised funds for the NRPA Headquarters Building, The Ahrens Institute. He served as Executive Secretary for the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration from 1985 to 1998. He has received the NRPA's Distinguished Professional Award, the Distinguished Service Award and the Great Lakes Region Outstanding Professional Award, The Illinois Parks and Recreation Society's Distinguished Fellow Award, and the Robert Artz Award, the APRS's Distinguished Fellow Award, the Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal from the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, and the National Gold Medal for Excellence in the Field of Park and Recreation Management in 1966 in Oak Park, Illinois and in 1979, 1990 and 1998 with the Champaign Park District.