John L. Crompton holds the rank of University Distinguished Professor and is both a Regents Professor and a Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M University. He received his basic training in England. His undergraduate work was in physical education and geography at Loughborough College. After teaching high school for a year, he attended the University of Illinois, where he completed a MS degree in Recreation and Park Administration in 1968. In 1970, he was awarded another MS degree from Loughborough University of Technology, majoring in Business Administration. ?In 1970, he joined Loughborough Recreation Planning Consultants as their first full-time employee. When he left as managing director in 1974, LRPC had developed into the largest consulting firm in the United Kingdom, specializing in recreation and tourism, with a full-time staff of 25 and supplemented by a number of part-time associate consultants. ?In 1974, Dr. Crompton came to Texas A&M University. He received his doctorate in Recreation Resources Development in 1977. For some years he taught graduate and undergraduate courses in both the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Department of Marketing at Texas A&M University, but he now teaches exclusively in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences. ?Dr. Crompton's primary interests are in the areas of marketing and financing public leisure and tourism services. He is author or co-author of 18 books and a substantial number