Dr. Compton is retired yet continuing his research in healthy communities employing dynamic systems modeling. He is former Dean, College of Health, University of Utah, Department Chair at Missouri-Columbia, Department Chair, North Texas State University and Department Chair, Indiana University. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of Utah and Indiana University. He served as a member of the Board of Directors, World Leisure Organization; President, National Therapeutic Recreation Society; and National Consortium on Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities. He served as a member of the Board of Directors, Society for Park and Recreation Education, and National Alliance for Accessible Golf; Project Director or Principal Investigator for numerous grants for research and training, including a seminal grant leading to the development of the Leisure Diagnostic Battery.

In 1993 he served as Visiting Scholar in Residence at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia and returned in 1997 served as Visiting Scholar in Allied Health Professions at the University of Sydney, Australia. Dr. Compton has served in many capacities for NRPA, including Director of Research, and has published over 50 articles in Therapeutic Recreation Journal, Adaptive Physical Activity Quarterly, Journal of Sports Medicine, Leisure/Loisir and other peer reviewed journals. He published several books and monographs including Healthy Communities: Repositioning Public Park and Recreation Agencies as Catalysts for Healthy People (with Michael Muehlenbein); Issues in Therapeutic Recreation: A Profession in Transition (First & Second Edition), Leisure and Mental Health (with Seppo Iso-Ahola), and Leisure Counseling (with Judith Goldstein)