▁in ▁Missouri ▁Category : M id town ▁St . ▁Louis <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Association ▁for ▁the ▁Study ▁of ▁Play ▁( T AS P ) ▁is ▁a ▁mult id is cipl inary ▁organization ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁and ▁pract ition ers ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁play . ▁ ▁The ▁Association ▁prom otes ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁play , ▁for ges ▁al li ances ▁with ▁organizations ▁adv ancing ▁play , ▁organ izes ▁year ly ▁meet ings ▁to ▁dis sem inate ▁play ▁research , ▁and ▁publish es ▁a ▁news letter ▁and ▁mon ograph ▁series . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Association ▁for ▁the ▁Study ▁of ▁Play ▁emer ged ▁from ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁of ▁play ▁held ▁in ▁Min ne apolis , ▁Minnesota , ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁meeting ▁was ▁organized ▁and ▁cha ired ▁by ▁A ly ce ▁Taylor ▁Ch es ka ▁( 1 9 2 1 - 2 0 1 2 ), ▁who ▁was ▁Head ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Women ' s ▁Phys ical ▁Education ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁at ▁U rb ana – Ch amp aign ▁( then ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ) ▁and ▁an ▁affili ate ▁professor ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Anth rop ology . ▁ ▁The ▁sch ol ars ▁who ▁met ▁there ▁formed ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Anth rop ology ▁of ▁Play ▁Re print ▁Society . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁year , ▁Michael ▁Sal ter ▁organized ▁the ▁first ▁formal ▁meeting ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁organization ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Western ▁Ontario ▁during ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁Society ▁for