Leon P. Smelstor, 36, of 1182 Washington Street; Norwood, former Norwood High School and New York University athletic star who up until his discharge recently had been engaged in recreation work with the U. S. Navy, was this week named to the $3000 a year position of Superintendent of Recreation by General Manager Francis W. Smith.
Notified officially of his appointment Wednesday morning. Smelstor assumed his new full-time duties for the town of Norwood immediately, with headquarters at the Civic.
Smelstor was picked from a field of 25 applicants for the town recreation post, which is not a Civil Service job.
ALL-AROUND ATHLETE
Brought up in Norwood, the new recreation superintendent is familiarly known as “Smickles,” a nickname which he acquired in the first grade at the Balch School. He was graduated in 1929 from Norwood High School, where he was an all-around athlete, starring in football, baseball, and track. He also excelled in sports at Dean Academy, where he prepared for one year for New York University In college, he was a three-letter man in varsity football and baseball. captaining the NYU baseball team in 1934, his senior year He majored in physical education, and was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and the Newman Club.
Following his graduation from college, he served as director of recreation and welfare at Mt. Loretto. a Catholic institute on Staten Island. served the Burroughs Newsboy Foundation as boys worker and director of suburban newsboys clubs, and also was In charge of recreation at the Mott Haven yards of the New York Central Railroad.
Smelstor entered the Navy in April, 1942 and served for two and a half years in the South Pacific. His first duties in the service were aboard a converted trawler which was used as a patrol craft, but later he had the opportunity to put his training and experience to good use in administering to the recreational needs of thousands of bluejackets. He was assigned to help set up and direct the first recreation center in the South Pacific, which was located on Aore Island in the New Hebrides group. Serving there for 19 months, he directed athletics at that base, drawing up baseball and softball programs, and arranging for other diversions for the men. As many as 19,000 men were at the base at one time when the fleet came in for supplies.
During his tour there, Smelstor worked with such men as “Sleepy Jim*’ Crowley of Notre Dame fame. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the late President, visited the recreation center during her tour of that theatre and labeled the base the “Coney Island of the South Pacific.
Smelstor returned to the States in October 1944 being assigned first to New Orleans where he served in the Welfare and Recreation Department handling basketball and baseball programs. In June, he was transferred to the U S Naval Hospital at Oakland Calif., where he devoted his efforts to the Rehabilitation Program This meant supervising sports, calisthenics and other activities for handicapped veterans in a program designed to restore them to normal physical condition.
He received his discharge as a Chief Petty Officer on September 28 at Shumaker Calif.
WIFE ALSO ATHLETE
He is married to the former Mar-gone Libis of Cincinnati, an athlete in her own right Mrs Smelstor has competed in swimming meets against such stars as Anne Curtis and she also excels in basketball and tennis.
Smelstor fills the position left vacant by the resignation last June of John E. Williams, who had served as Superintendent of Recreation since the previous November Miss Mary Cullinane, who served as playground director this summer, has been acting superintendent since Williams’ resignation and she will remain as assistant to Mr Smelstor.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)