Randy Schools served as president of the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association (R&W) and helped establish three NIH charities, which he continued to serve until his retirement: the Children’s Inn at the NIH, Special Love and Camp Fantastic, and the Friends of Patients at the NIH. He was also involved in numerous community organizations, including the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce and the Goodwill Dinner for the Homeless in Montgomery County. He was named a Washingtonian of the Year in 1988. Under his leadership, the R&W developed one of the first employee fitness centers, which became a model for others in the United States.
Language: Collection materials primarily in EnglishLocation: Materials stored at the Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum on the NIH campus. Contact the office for scheduling at 301-496-6610 or 301-496-7695.Access and Use Provenance: These files were transferred from Mr. Randy Schools of the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association (R&W) before his retirement.Access Restrictions: Collection is not restricted.Copyright and Re-use Information Most of these records belong to the federal government and are in public domain. Archival collections may contain mixed copyrights and permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. It is the user's responsibility to research and understand any applicable copyright and re-publication rights not allowed by fair use.Privacy Information Archives and manuscript collections may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in any collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications for which the Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum assumes no responsibility.Preferred Citation: Randy Schools and NIH Recreation and Welfare Association (R&W) Papers. Located in the Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum, National Institutes of Health.Biography Raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Randy Schools received a B.S. degree from the University of Baltimore, a M.A. at Georgetown University, and a Certificate of Social Enterprise and Nonprofit Management at Harvard Business School. During the Vietnam War, Schools did counterintelligence work in Washington, D.C. After the war, Schools became operations manager at Garfinkel’s department store until a heart problem forced him to reexamine his life. He then joined the NIH R&W in 1977.During his time as R&W manager, and then president, Schools had a profound impact not only on employee welfare, but also on the services that the NIH could provide patients and their families. For example, under his leadership, the R&W developed one of the first employee fitness centers, which became a model for others in the United States. He helped establish Camp Fantastic, a summer camp for children dealing with disease, which hosts around 400 children at any given time and operates nearly 30 programs. He then helped to develop the Friends of the Clinical Center to provide financial assistance to families of patients at the NIH through short-term assistance such as car or house payments. Working with Congressional and industry contacts, Schools helped promote and raised funds for the NIH Children’s Inn, which provides housing for families at the NIH for long-term clinical studies.Schools was active in the local community and was involved in organizations such as the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce. Upon his retirement, many local officials issued proclamations to honor him. He was selected as the Washingtonian of the Year in 1988.Collection Scope and Content Note Consists of R&W newsletters, brochures, photographs, and slides on topics such as Camp Fantastic, the Children’s Inn, the Federal Interagency Health Fitness Council, festivals, picnics, and other events.Box List Box 1 R&W Newsletters 1993 – July - December1994 – January – December [July missing]1995 – January – December [Includes April SupplementBox 2 R&W Newsletters 1996 – 1998 – Complete; Includes 1996 SupplementBox 3 R&W Newsletters 1999 – 2001Box 4 R&W Newsletters 2002 – 2005Box 5 R&W Newsletters 2006 -20102013 – 2014Box 6 Subject Files; Alphabetical Bylaws; 1986CalendarsCamp Fantastic BrochureChildren’s Inn at NIHElection Ballot R&W; 1990 – 1991Emergency Preparedness; undatedEmployee Guidelines; Physical Fitness Participation; undatedEmployee Services Program; 1984Employee Store; undatedFederal Fit Kit Manual; 1987Federal Interagency Health Fitness Council; 1988 – 1989Healthline; various datesLegal Aspects of Preventive and Rehabilitative Exercise Program; undatedBox 7 Subject Files; Alphabetical Other Fitness Programs; undatedPhotos – Contact SheetsPotomac Conference and Correspondence; undatedPromotions Miscellaneous; undatedResource Guide for Fitness and Health Promotion; 1998Speeches and reports; undatedWorksite Health Promotion; undatedBox 8 Photos, Alphabetical by Topic Annual Recognition Days; 2 envelopes1998; 32 photosUndated; 31 photosAwards1987, June; 6 photosAwards, undated - Set 1; Set 1Awards, undated - Set 2; 2 photosAwards, undated – Set 3; 4 photosAwards, Annual Meeting, 1990; 1 photoBill Branson’s CDCamp Fantastic, Dated1983; 2 photos1985, June; 12 photos1989; 4 photos, BBQ1988, Feb 8 ; 1 photo, Kids Skiing1992, May ; 1 photoWorld Champs July 1994, 1 photo1995; 28 photosCamp Fantastic, UndatedSet 1; 3 photosSet 2; 2 photosSwimming; 4 photos Set 3Horseback Riding; 2 photos Set 4Camp Fantastic Event; Set 5 29 photosCamp Fantastic BrochureChildren, MiscellaneousR&W Picnic; July 1985 1 photoChildren’s InnRugrats; undated 32 photosGroundbreaking; undated 12 photosCircusMay; 1991 1 photoJune 1988; 1 photo1995; Set 1, 25 photos1995; Set 2, 4 photos1999; Set 3, 46 photosMarch 2000; Set 4, 23 photosBox 9 Photos, Alphabetical by Topic Circus, UndatedSet 1; 39 photosSet 2; 78 photos (The Greatest Show on Earth)Set 3; 28 photosSet 4 (Camp Fantastic); 14 photosSet 5 March 24 (?); 12 photosComcast Film FestivalMay 1995; 18 phtosAugust 1999; 28 photos2000 (?); 10 photos2000 (?); background 38 photosDonationsR&W Theater Group; January 1983 1 photoR&W Donation; July 16, 1985 1 photoJan 28, 1986; 1 photoJune 1989; 2 photosLion’s Club and Connie Morella; 1991 1 photoTheater; May 1 1995 2 photosSeptember 1998; 1 photoISO; 1999 1 photoLittle Theater Group; 1993 3 photosDonations, undated; Set 1 3 photosDonations, undated; Set 2 8 photosEvents, DatedPot Belly Bear; May 1982 10 photos1985 Campus Presentation, 3 photosOctober 1985 Western Day, 7 photos1986 Picnic Set 1 4 photosJuly 29, 1986 Speakers 17 photosDecember 1987, 1 photoOctober 1989 Fair; 18 photos1989 Picnic 24 photosNovember 1993 Safety Day 9 photosSeptember 1994 Hot Air Balloon 22 photosMay 1995 Employee Fair 11 photosOctober 1995 Costume Halloween 3 photos, 1 albumMay 1996 Employee Fiar, 29 picturesAugust 1998 Fair 1 photoAugust 1999 Fair and Picnic 18 photosMay 2001 Fitness Day “Fit to Be…” 45 photosBox 10 Photos, Events Undated Comcast; Set 1, 27 photosEmployee Fair; Set 2, 7 photosEmployee Fair; Set 3, 16 photosFormal Ceremony; Set 4, 17 photosHealth Fair; Set 5, 4 photos“Homeless’” Set 6, 7 photosPicnic; Set 8, 4 photosSanta; Set 9, 5 photosSpeakers; Set 10, 5 photosEvents, Miscellaneous; undated, 15 photosFitness CenterJune 17, 1986; 1 photoExercise; 1 photoUndated; 8 photosFundraising, Dated1990 (?); Panda contact sheets, photo, invitationJune 1996; 19 photos1996; Western Events 8 photosAugust 1999 (?) 50 photos Set 1August 1999 (?) 36 photos Set 22000 Football (Redskins)Fundraising, Undated“Got Milk;” 2 photosFair (Special Love) 31 photosMembership Service1995 7 photosNIH Employee Health FairMay 1996 2 photosPeople, MiscellaneousUndated 39 photosPlacesMiscellaneous; 5 photosBuilding 1; 1991Campus; 1 photoResearch Triangle ParkChildren’s Inn (?); 2 photosRandy Schools 25 photosR&W StoresDecember 17, 1985 Fair 1 photoMay 1996 2 photos1996 (?) 4 photosUndated, Set 1 4 photosMerchandise Set 2 16 photosVendors Set 3 2 photosStore Personnel, Set 4 6 photosStore opening; 4 photos and 1 contact sheet Set 5Winter (Santa) Set 6 13 photosBox 11 Photos-Sports BaseballOctober 1982 6 photos1983 19 photosUndated Set 1 13 photosUndated Set 2 5 photosCycling1982 6 photosFitness, Walkers; 1985 9 photosAugust 1991, 1 photoGolfSeptember 1991 1 photo1996 10 photosUndated Set 1 57 photosUndated Set 2 41 photosUndated Set 3 45 photosPoolMay 1996 1 photoSkiing undated 2 photosTennis September 1982 2 photoWater Sports1978 8 photosJuly 1982 Sailing 2 photos1990 Sailing 5 photosUndated 3 photosSports Events1989 4 photosCompetition; undated 8 photosCycling; undated 2 photosVarious events; undated 5 photosTimeline6 photos plus 1 duplicate setToastmastersAugust 26, 1986 1 photoBox 12 Photos, Negatives
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