Growth and progress of the AAHPER(D) Unit on Programs for the Handicapped are traced from activities initiated during the 1965 AAHPER National Convention in Dallas through 1984 when the Unit and its services were terminated. Included in this historical review are discussions about the Task Force on Programs for the Mentally Retarded, Project on Recreation and Fitness for the Mentally Retarded, Physical Education and Recreation for the Handicapped: Information and Research Utilization Center (IRUC), Leadership Developmental Institutes (LDI), and other specific service activities conducted by the Unit during this 19-year period. Services are presented in terms of the Unit’s four basic operational objectives—leadership preparation, research, program and material development, and consultation.