Timeline

1950s  |  1960s  |  1970s  |  1980s  |  1990s  |  2000s

1950

• 22 intramural directors from 11 Historically Black Colleges formed the National Intramural Association at the first Intramural Conference held at Dillard University in New Orleans.
• William Wasson organized and hosted that first meeting and then served as NIA president for the first five years.

1952

• The Third Annual Conference of the National Intramural Association was held at Howard University with Herman Tyrance serving as host. With the presence of S. Bischoff and Al Lumley, the organization became an interracial association. The name of the association was changed to the National Intramural and Recreation Association.

1959

• The National Intramural Association became an affiliate of the American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (AAHPER). The membership voted to drop “Recreation” from the name and eliminate women from membership.

1961

• The NIA rejected an offer to merge with AAHPER.

1963

• Exhibitors were allowed to show their products at the annual conference.

1965

• The Research Grant Program was established.

1966

• The first edition of the National Intramural Association Directory was published.

1969

• The 20th Annual conference was held in Los Angeles, California hosted by the University of California.
• Paul H. Gunsten was the first "Executive Secretary" of the NIA. The position was created to handle administrative details of the organization.

1971

• The passage of a constitutional revision made way for the acceptance of women (once again) as members in the NIA.
• Edsel Buchanan became the second Executive Secretary of the NIA.

1972

• Job Placement Services were offered at each Annual Conference for the first time.

1973

• Will Holsberry was named Executive Secretary.

1975

• The NIA membership voted to change the name to the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association.
• Mike Moore, University of Illinois, was named the first Executive Committee Student Representative.

1977

• The first issue of the NIRSA Journal was published.

1981

• The Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) certification program was instituted.

1984

• NIRSA adopted a Code of Ethics for Professional Members.

1986

• The National Office became a full-time operation and Will Holsberry's title was changed from Executive Secretary to Executive Director.
• The first Sport Club Symposium was held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

1987

• Mary Daniels, The Ohio State University, was voted in the first female NIRSA President.

1988

• NIRSA Executive Committee approved the appointment of Roy Yarbrough as the first historian for the Association.

1989

• The first School of Recreational Sports Management was held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

1991

• William Wasson, the founder of the NIRSA, passed away.
• The first Executive Institute took place in Breckenridge, Colorado.
• The first Sports Facilities Symposium was conducted in Boston, Massachusetts.

1992

• The NIRSA Natural High program was established under a grant from FIPSE.
• The NIRSA Foundation was established.

1993

• The first Wasson Student Leadership and Academic Awards were presented.

1994

• 2.29 acres of land was purchased in Corvallis, Oregon for the building of the NIRSA National Center.

1996

• The first Outdoor Recreation Symposium was held at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina.
• 25 Years of Women in the NIRSA.

1997

• July: Groundbreaking for the new NIRSA National Center in Corvallis, Oregon.
• July: Will Holsberry, NIRSA Executive Director, retires.
• August: Dr. Kent J. Blumenthal succeeds Holsberry as NIRSA's second Executive Director.

1998

• July: Dedication of the NIRSA National Center in Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
• Last surviving founder of the NIA, Horace Moody, passed away.

1999

• January 1: NIRSA Services Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of NIRSA is officially formed.
• eFASTNEWS, NIRSA's electronic communication, is started in the fall.
• 50th NIRSA Annual Conference held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Inaugural issue of the Recreational Sports & Fitness magazine is published.

2000

• First Marketing Symposium is offered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Volleyball Sport Club Championships move from campus venue to Convention Center venue.

2001

• First Aquatics Symposium is offered in College Station, Texas.
• BluefishJobs.com, NIRSA's online career services network is launched in December.
• Board of Directors hold first special meeting via teleconference call in December.
• NIRSA's first financial audit conducted by outside CPA firm.
• Renamed NIRSA Journal to Recreational Sports Journal.

2002

• NIRSA was accepted as a member of the Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA).

2003

• The first Fitness Institute is offered in San Diego, California.
• The last issue of NIRSA's official magazine, Recreational Sports & Fitness, is published in November.
• Roy Yarbrough, NIRSA Historian retires in December.

2004

• January: NIRSA launched the first issue of the electronic version of NIRSA Know.
• The NIRSA Education & Publication Center, a joint publishing venture between NIRSA and Human Kinetics is launched in January.
• Paul Wilson is named as NIRSA's new Historian.
• The Value of Recreational Sports in Higher Education: Impact on Student Enrollment, Success, and Buying Power, was published. It combined the first, second, and third sections of the 2002 Kerr & Downs Research Report commissioned by the NIRSA Board of Directors.
• Online voting by proxy ballot is implemented at the 2004 Annual Conference.