Category Archives: Front Page

The International Sports Heritage Association Board of Directors is saddened by the recent events occurring across the United States. Sports have always provided a vehicle to bridge social change and unite people. Many athletes – past and present – use their available forum to advocate for social justice. Diverse locker rooms often represent the melding of different races that see past unnecessary divides to build strong bonds. The relationships built and lessons learned through sports at all levels can serve as an example for the world at large. For almost 50 years, ISHA has promoted sports heritage as a medium to operate and promote institutions that share history and the athletes that made it. Unfortunately, one of our members, The College Football Hall of Fame, was damaged during protests in Atlanta, Ga. While we send our heartfelt best to The College Football Hall of Fame as it undergoes repairs and prepares, once again, to serve and entertain the public, we also acknowledge that the unrest in America transcends sports. As the world works through a pandemic and social unrest, we certainly hope that sport and its many influencers can serve as a beacon for reunification, re-opening, peace and a new and necessary dialogue.

The International Sports Heritage Association is pleased to announce that it is taking applications for a Special Project Grant for 2020. Up to $2,000 is available.

In these uncertain times as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Board of Directors and the Grant Committee realize that projects at member organizations need to continue. Therefore, the Special Project grant recipient will be announced in August.

“With all of our institutions closed because of the Coronavirus, and as world leaders strategize a safe re-opening strategy, we are trying to keep ISHA business flowing as normal as possible for our members,” ISHA Board President Bryan Morry said. “We continue to follow all guidelines and examine scenarios as they unfold, but the board felt strongly that the Special Project grant should be awarded as it annually has been thanks to donations to the Founders’ Fund that supports all ISHA grants.”

Past projects include preservation of a Western Show collection at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy, improved storage for the Saskatchewan Hall of Fame and Museum, and a digitization project at the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Applications for member Conference Travel Grants and Conference-only grants will be made available as soon as Directors determine the status of the annual Conference planned for October in Newport, RI. Conference planning continues with a decision on its status to be made no later than August 15.

The Special Project Grant is supported through the ISHA Founders’ Fund and helps finance museum activities intended to address at least one of the following:

· Increase collection capacity

· Increase public access

· Improve documentation

· Increase awareness

· Improve preservation

· Increase interpretation

The grant is available to all regular institutional members of ISHA. Preference will be given to those in most financial need. Additional eligibility requirements are listed on the grant application. The application may be found on the ISHA Website at https://sportsheritage.org/isha-grants/ and should be submitted prior to June 30 at [email protected].

Applicants may receive a maximum of one (1) Special Project Grant within a five-year period. A grant will only be awarded once for any specific topic within an organization.

Personal and corporate Founders Fund donations may be made by contacting Karen Bednarski, executive director, at 541-991-7315 or at ISHA, PO Box 1321, Danville, KY, 40423. Donations and money raised through a Silent Auction and Reverse Raffle support the Founders Fund.

We understand that this is a difficult time for many individuals and organizations in our membership but wanted to give an update concerning the 50th ISHA Conference, scheduled for October 21-23, 2020, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI. The Conference Committee has been meeting diligently and is still planning and preparing for the conference on that date. However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic impact on many of our organizations, we are also aware that hosting our conference as we have historically done might not be a possibility this year.

A determination on whether or not the 50th ISHA Conference will take place in Newport in October 2020 will be made by the ISHA Board of Directors no later than August 15, 2020. Until that determination is made, the Conference Committee will continue to work as normal to host the Conference during the regularly scheduled time.

If we cannot host the 50th ISHA Conference as scheduled, provisions will be made for a “virtual conference” this year.

Regardless of how it happens, the ISHA Conference Committee is determined to provide the membership with the best possible continuing education experience that we can. We continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation and remain hopeful that we will all be able to get together in Newport while also preparing for virtual education sessions. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, about this year’s 50th ISHA Conference, please don’t hesitate to call or email anytime.

The International Sports Heritage Association recognizes this is a trying time for the world. The Covid-19 virus has interrupted our normal daily activities, which includes the closing of most of our cultural institutions. We encourage sports museums to adhere to state and federal guidelines regarding the virus as we all must do our part to slow its spread. The health and safety of guests and staff is of utmost importance. Each ISHA member institution will make its own determination on what is best based on local recommendations. The status of many sports museums is listed below, but please know that these are subject to change on short notice as the situation remains quite fluid. If you are sports museum visitor, please check an institution’s website to confirm its status before visiting. This list is compiled as of Monday, March 16 though some status reports are from Friday, March 13. So again, please check websites for up-to-the-minute information.

Below is also a link for member institutions to reference in terms of expectations:

https://www.colleendilen.com/2020/03/16/special-how-covid-19-is-impacting-intentions-to-visit-cultural-entities-data/

Australian Sports Museum (East Melbourne) — Closed

University of Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame (Iowa City, IA) — Closed

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (Knoxville, IA) – Open (no events)

The American Sport Art Museum and Archives (Daphne, AL) – Closed

The British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame (Vancouver, BC) – Closed

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (Woodbine, ON) — Closed

The Sports Museum (Boston, MA) – Closed

NCAA Hall of Champions (Indianapolis, IN) – Closed

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (Macon, GA) – Closed

Olympic Museum (Lausanne, Switzerland) – Closed

Negro League Baseball Museum (Kansas City, MO) – Closed

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (Calgary, AB) – Closed

Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton, OH) – Closed

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (Wichita, KS) – Closed

Patriots Hall of Fame presented by Raytheon (Foxborough, MA) – Closed

49ers Museum (Santa Clara, CA) – Closed

Packers Hall of Fame (Green Bay, WI) – Closed

Vikings Museum (Eagan, MN) – Closed

Hockey Hall of Fame (Toronto, ON) – Closed

USGA Museum (Liberty Corner, NJ) – Closed

Penn State All Sports Museum (University Park, PA) – Open (fluid)

British Golf Museum (St. Andrews) – Closed

National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (Stillwater, OK) – Closed

Texas Sports Hall of Fame (Waco, TX) – Closed

St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum (St. Louis, MO) – Open (No stadium tours)

College Football Hall of Fame (Atlanta, GA) – Closed

Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (Nashville, TN) – Closed

Alberta Sports Hall of Fame (Red Deer, AB) – Open

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (Denver, CO) – Closed

Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum (Baltimore, MD) – Closed

Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame/Museum (Regina, SK) – Closed for renovations

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame (Oakville, ON) – Closed

World of Little League Museum (Williamsport, PA) – Closed

Oklahoma Sports Museum  (Guthrie, OK) – Closed

Bear Bryant Museum (Tuscaloosa, AL) – Closed

Oregon Sports Hall of Fame (Beavertown, OR) – Open (fluid)

Braves Museum and Hall of Fame (Atlanta, GA) – Closed

Baseball Heritage Museum (Cleveland, OH) – Closed

Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (Jackson, MS) – Closed

Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame (Halifax, NS) – Closed

Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame (Colorado Springs, CO) – Closed

Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (Knoxville, TN) – Closed

Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield, MA) – Closed for renovations (5/1)

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum (Cincinnati, OH) – Closed

NASCAR Hall of Fame (Charlotte, NC) – Closed

Bobby Orr Hall of Fame (Parry Sound, ON) – Closed

Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Cooperstown, NY) – Closed

World Golf Hall of Fame (St. Augustine, FL) – Closed

New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame (Fredericton, NB) – All tours cancelled

Racine Heritage Museum (Racine, WI) – Closed

Seeking Conference Proposals

The 50th anniversary of the ISHA annual conference is seeking proposals for conference sessions.

Do you have a project, story or educational topic that you think would be great for the conference? If so, click here to submit your proposal today.

Town & Team: An Inseparable Bond

This exhibit tells the story of the strong bond between the Packers and the community they represent. Starting in the late 1920s and well into the 1960s, most players lived downtown or nearby and were everywhere to be seen by fans who might have idolized them but also gave them their space. More recently, the connection between town and team can be seen through the charitable work of both the players and the organization. This exhibit features Packers’ hang-outs and the communities’ commitment to support the team.

Admit One: The History of the Packers Tickets

This exhibit tells the story of how the Packers have always been the hot ticket in Green Bay, dating all the way back to a packed house in their first professional league game and continuing today at legendary Lambeau Field. It explores the history of Packers tickets being sold at various locations including the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Legion Park, and the downtown Packers office building. This exhibit also features memorable tickets at Lambeau Field such as Vince Lombardi’s first win, the Ice Bowl, the Instant Replay game, and the Monday Night Miracle.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., will host the International Sports Heritage Association’s 50th annual conference from Oct. 21-23, 2020. This will be the fourth time ISHA has been to Newport for a conference – the most of any location. It also hosted in 1976, 1989 and 2012. The International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame, located in Kingston, R.I. also hosted, making this ISHA’s fifth visit to America’s smallest state.

Mark your calendars and click here to see what makes Newport such an attractive conference location.

The International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) announced today that it will present Wichita, Kan., native William I. “Bill” Koch with its Legacy Award during its annual conference hosted by the Kansas Sports Hall Fame on Oct. 23 and 24.

Koch will receive the award at An Evening of Champions, the conference awards banquet held Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Koch is the second recipient of the award, which ISHA created in 2018 to recognize an individual or organization located in the geographical area of the annual conference in order to provide an opportunity for the host to honor a local sports heritage contributor.

“The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is thrilled to host Mr. Koch back in his hometown to receive the Legacy Award from the International Sports Heritage Association. Mr. Koch’s connection to our organization runs deep and this honor recognizes not only his commitment and contributions to our organization, but his lasting legacy on the landscape of sports heritage,” sad Jordan Poland, President and CEO of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

One of the nation’s greatest business minds and well-known philanthropists, Koch was the winning skipper of the 1992 America’s Cup – the oldest trophy in sports. He also was the winning skipper in the 1990 and 1991 Maxi Yacht World Championships, and the 1994 and 2009 12 Meter World Championships. In 1995, Koch assembled the world’s first all-women’s team to compete for the America’s Cup. His commitment to the women’s team represented a milestone in the recognition and opportunities now provided female athletes in many sports around the world.

The founder and owner of one of the largest privately-owned companies in the world – The Oxbow Group –  Koch attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he earned three degrees and earned four academic honors. He also has three Honorary Doctorate degrees, including from Washburn University and Haskell University in Kansas. At MIT, Koch also played varsity basketball and participated in track and field, and rugby.

As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oxbow Carbon LLC, Koch’s business acumen set the stage for the company’s unprecedented growth, making it the world’s largest marketing company of fuel grade and calcined petroleum coke. With annual sales of $4 billion, and offices across the globe, Oxbow Carbon is the world’s largest producer of calcined coke, a key ingredient in the manufacturing of aluminum, and a key supplier of sulphur, sulphuric acid and fertilizers. Oxbow also started and built an alternative energy business domestically and internationally.

Ranked as one of the 25 most generous individuals in the United States by The Journal of Philanthropy in 2011, Koch may be best remembered for his mission to help less fortunate children receive a high-level education. Over the years, Koch has contributed money, time, and energy to help individuals, teachers, and classrooms get the support they have needed. Additionally, Koch started an advanced high school in Florida.

Koch has received numerous state nd national awards for his commitment to charities in his home state and around the country. He founded the Koch Crime Commission for the state of Kansas. He received the Medal of Outstanding Citizenship from the City of Wichita, the Karl Menninger Award, and the Governor of Kansas Appreciation Award. His generosity also included funding the Wichita Boathouse – headquarters for the Wichita River Kids Club, which taught sailing, kayaking and canoeing. The Wichita Boathouse is now home to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and Koch has been an instrumental supporter of the organization since his induction in 2004.

He was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame in 1993, was awarded the New York Yacht Club Medal of Honor in 1993, and named Kansan of the Year in 1993 and 1994. In addition to being Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Mr. Koch has been inducted into the Culver Academy Athletic Hall of Fame (1994), the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame (2016), and the National Sailing Hall of Fame (2018). Mr. Koch is an Honorary Admiral in four Navies, including the state of Kansas.