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Department History


HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTORS (HPARD) 1943 – 2024
1899
 First Park committee appointed by Mayor
Samuel Brashear¬, Mayor (1898 – 1901)
1899
 Property purchased for 1st Houston Park later to be named Sam Houston Park
Samuel Brashear, Mayor (1898 – 1901)
1910
 Board of Park Commissioners Formed
Edwin B. Parker, George H Hermann, William A Wilson, appointed to Board of Park Commissioners Horace Rice, Mayor (1896 - 1898 & 1905 - 1913)
1912
 Arthur Colemen Comey, a landscape architect from Cambridge, Massachusetts
Retained to come to Houston to analyze local conditions and make recommendations for the sort of park and parkway system which ought to be developed. H. Baldwin Rice, Mayor (1896 - 1898 & 1905 - 1913)
1913
 Clarence Brock, Park Superintendent
Ben Campbell, Mayor (1913-1917)
1913
 Houston, Tentative Plans for Its Development by Arthur Comey published
Ben Campbell, Mayor (1913-1917)
1916
 Department of Public Parks Created
City of Houston ordinance (Chapter 23, Article 1, Section 32-2) Ben Campbell, Mayor (1913 - 1917)
1919
 Recreation Bureau established following a conference between two community service bureaus: the committee of social Service Bureau and Rusk Settlement
A.E. Amerman, Mayor (1918 - 1922)
1919
 Corinne Fonde, Executive Secretary of Recreation Bureau
A.E. Amerman, Mayor (1918 - 1922)
1919
 Corinne Fonde, Director Recreation Bureau
A. Earl Amerman, Mayor (1919 - 1921)
1921
 The work of the Recreation Bureau and the Houston Service Association were similar so they merged to form the Recreation and Community Service Association. In the same year, Mayor Oscar Holcombe and City Council passed an ordinance creating a city Recreation Department out of the Recreation and community Service Association.
Oscar Holcombe, Mayor (1921 - 1929 & 1939 - 1941)
1924
 Hermann Park Golf Course completed (began in 1922) becoming Houston’s first municipal golf course.
Oscar Holcombe, Mayor (1921 - 1929 & 1939 - 1941)
1937
 Parks Department recreated after depression with Board of Commissioners (6 members)
Oscar Holcombe, Mayor (1921 - 1929 & 1939 - 1941)
1943
 The Parks & Recreation Department formed through the consolidation of the Department of Parks, Department of Recreation, and the Department of Golf.
Otis Massey, Mayor (1943 - 1947)
1943
 C.C. (Pat)Fleming, Director, HPARD
Corine Fonde, Assistant Director HPARD
Otis Massey, Mayor (1943 – 1947)
1946
 Hugo Koehn, Acting Director, HPARD
Otis Massey, Mayor (1943 - 1947)
1948
 Hugo Koehn, Acting Director, HPARD
Otis Massey, Mayor (1943 - 1947)
1953
 Gus H. Haycock, Director HPARD
Roy Mark Hofheinz Mayor (1953 - 1955)
1956
 Gus H. Haycock, Director HPARD
Oscar Fitzallen Holcombe Mayor (1956 - 1957)
1958
 Gus H. Haycock, Director HPARD
Lewis Wesley Cutrer, Mayor (1958 - 1963)
1964
 Gus H. Haycock, Director HPARD
Louie Welch, Mayor (1964 - 1973)
1965
 G.A. (Dan) Lynch, Acting Director HPARD
Louie Welch, Mayor (1964 - 1973)
1966
 Wiilliam G. Scheibe, Director HPARD
Louie Welch, Mayor (1964 - 1973)
1974
 George W. Lanier, Jr., Director HPARD
Fred Hofheinz, Mayor (1974 - 1977)
1977
 James S. Hart, Acting Director HPARD
Fred Hofheinz, Mayor (1974 - 1977)
1978
 James S. Hart, Director HPARD
Jim McConn, Mayor (1978 - 1981)
1983
 Donald G. Olson, Director HPARD
Kathryn J. Whitmire, Mayor (1982 - 1992)
1993
 William R. Smith, Director HPARD
Robert C. Lanier, Mayor (1992 - 1997)
1998
 Oliver B. Spellman, Jr., Director HPARD
Lee P. Brown, Mayor (1998 - 2003)
2002
 Roy E. Wilson, Acting Director HPARD
Lee P. Brown, Mayor (1998 - 2003)
2002
 Roksan Okan-Vick, Director HPARD
Lee P. Brown, Mayor (1998 - 2003)
2004
 Joe Turner, Director HPARD
Bill White, Mayor (2004 - 2010)
2010
 Joe Turner, Director HPARD
Annise Parker, Mayor (2010 - 2016)
2017
 Joe Turner, Director HPARD
Sylvester Turner, Mayor (2016 - 2023)
2017
 Lisa Johnson, Interim Director HPARD
Sylvester Turner, Mayor (2016 - 2023)
2017
 Steve Wright, Director HPARD
Sylvester Turner, Mayor (2016 - 2023)
2019
 Kenneth Allen, Interim Director HPARD
Sylvester Turner, Mayor (2016 - 2023)
2021
 Kenneth Allen, Director HPARD
Sylvester Turner, Mayor (2016 - 2023)
2024
 Kenneth Allen, Director HPARD
John Whitmire, Mayor (2024 - Present)