Category Archives: Public News

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.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 28, 2019) – Ron Watson, founder
president of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA), died
Sunday evening at the age of 72, leaving a legacy of remarkable
accomplishments in creating the MSHFA, then molding it into a respected
organization that honors all forms of motorsports.

Watson, a native of Bloomington, Indiana, was a resident of Ormond
Beach, Florida, along with his wife, Donna. They moved to Florida in 2016
when the MSHFA relocated from its longtime home in Detroit to Daytona
International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“Our thoughts are with Ron’s families – his own family, plus the huge extended family the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America represents,” said speedway President Chip Wile. “His tireless work ethic and commitment to making the hall of fame part of this nation’s motorsports fabric were something to admire. He was a great business associate – and a better friend.”

The MSHFA is housed in the speedway’s Ticket and Tours Building where it greets more than 100,000 guests annually. Watson made the move happen, working with Daytona International Speedway and then-speedway President Joie Chitwood III. The relocation invigorated the MSHFA, which immediately became an integral part of the speedway’s immensely popular fan tours.

Prior to founding the MSHFA in 1989, Watson was a city councilman in Novi, Michigan (1977-89), including a stint as Novi Mayor Pro Tem (1981-85). Watson earned his undergraduate degree at Michigan State University and a law degree from Wayne State University. He practiced law from 1972-93. He was scheduled to retire from his position as MSHFA President in April, 2020 and be replaced by longtime MSHFA Board of Directors member George Levy. That transition had yet to be announced, having been
approved by the board earlier this fall.

“Ron felt that motorsports needed a great hall of fame,” said Levy, “then worked tirelessly for the next 30-plus years to make that dream a reality. In so doing he built an institution that’s respected the world over and became himself one of the most important voices in the sport. He will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him.”

In addition to Donna, Watson is survived in his immediate family by their children, a daughter Stephanie (Ted), son Brendan (Kate) and their beloved grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending.

The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America: The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) conducted its first induction ceremony in 1989; the facility was located in Novi, Mich., from 1989 through 2015 and relocated to Daytona Beach, Fla, in 2016. The MSHFA is the only hall of fame that encompasses the full spectrum of American motorsports: cars, motorcycles, off-road, powerboats and airplanes. The overriding mission of the MSHFA is to celebrate and instill the American core values of leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork and spirit of competition embodied in motorsports. The MSHFA is operated by the non-profit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation, Inc. Learn more at www.MSHF.com.

The International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) is pleased to announce its 2019 ISHY Award winners. The nine winners were presented their ISHY trophy on October 24, 2019 during An Evening of Champions dinner at the group’s annual conference hosted by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

The 2019 ISHY winners are:

“The Top 15: Nova Scotia’s Greatest Athletes” by the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame

“Spirit of Sport Magazine” by The Sport Australia Hall of Fame

“Patriots Hall of Fame Bobbleheads” by the Patriots Hall of Fame Presented by Raytheon

“The Story of the Little League Patch” by World of Little League Museum and Official Store

“Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame Facebook” by the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame

“Future Hall of Famers Education Program: Grade 5 Cross-Curricular Package” by the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame

“2018 Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Induction Materials” by the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame

“2019 World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Materials” by the World Golf Hall of Fame

“Courting Fashion Digital Exhibit” by the International Tennis Hall of Fame

“Indigenous Sport Gallery” by the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame

“Museum Renovations” by the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum

Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame took home the top-prize for “Best in Show”, as voted on by conference
attendees, for their publication, “The Top 15: Nova Scotia’s Greatest Athletes”

The ISHY Awards program was established to provide recognition for excellence in publications by all
member sports museums, halls of fame or sports heritage organizations, regardless of size or budget,
based upon a competition evaluated by ISHA members and communications professionals.

ISHY Award applications are available through the ISHA website with a closing date of June 30th. Further
information about how to apply for a 2020 ISHY will be available in the spring.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that they were upgrading the Rocket Mortgage Field House Arena in downtown Cleveland, Xibitz was given the contract to work with the General Contractor, Whiting-Turner, and their design team, Infinite Scale, to help develop and produce exciting new elements in the arena concourse. The “Flex Walls” include beautiful graphics, big screens, interactive elements, cases with team artifacts and other engaging visuals and stories about the team and its history. The newly renovated arena will be a centerpiece for sports and entertainment in the ever- changing landscape of Cleveland.

University of Louisville | Schnellenberger Football Complex

When Jack Porter redesigned the University of Louisville’s Schnellenberger Football Complex entrance, they turned to Xibitz to fabricate a bold and inventive experience. Inspired by the school’s mascot, Louie the Cardinal, a massive wall treatment reminiscent of a bird’s wings was assembled in the lobby.

Measuring 29 feet high, each wing spans two walls for a total of 54 feet each. 64 feathers create the sculpture and combined, weigh nearly 4,600 pounds, the heaviest weighing 252 pounds. The sculpture is made primarily of ACM, an aluminum-clad material of thin sheets of brushed aluminum cladding on a composite material.

Built around existing fire suppression controls, heating/cooling vents, environmental controls, and an ID scanner, the sculpture was successfully installed without detracting from the overall look of the project. The result is a cutting edge, sleek, and powerful entrance to the university’s football building.

Designer:

Jack Porter

Scope of Services:

Project Planning, Contract Management, Facility Interface Coordination, Design Management, Prototypes & Mockups, Scheduling Management, Contractor Coordination, Sub-Consultant Coordination, Construction Drawings, Fabrication, Installation

 

Four International Sports Heritage Association members are the recipients of $3,750 in grants made available through the organization’s Founders Fund.

Money for the Founders Fund comes from a Silent Auction, and other fund-raising ventures held at the annual conference and throughout the year. The annual conference will be held Oct. 23-24 at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Wichita.

A $2,000 Special Projects Grant was awarded to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame to rehouse the Museum’s oldest collection of rodeo and Wild West Show artifacts: the Hafley-Shelton Collection.

According to Megan Winterfeldt, exhibits and collections coordinator, the collection of more than 600 artifacts includes clothing, props, and personal items related to the California Frank Wild West Show and Rodeo which began in the early 1900s. The items are in old archival boxes that were used for shipping when the show traveled. The project will create new and stable mounts for all the pieces. With new housing, the artifacts will be preserved for future generations to learn about rodeo’s early days.

A Travel and Conference Grant (maximum $1,000) was awarded to Kyle Moore, assistant program director of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Moore’s well-prepared application detailed how attending the conference sessions and networking will benefit both him and his institution.

Additionally, grants covering the $375 cost of ISHA Conference registration were awarded to Danny Lamoureux, of the Canadian Curling Association, and to Alan Penner, of the Oklahoma Sports Museum.

Mr. Lamoureux is director of the Curling Club Development and Championship Services in Orleans, Ontario. It does not have a brick and mortar facility but is mobile, digital and augmented reality experience.

Mr. Penner is Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Sports Museum and is eager to network with other sports museums.

A Silent Auction is held during the annual conference, which will be hosted by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Wichita in October. Silent Auction items are being collected from member museums and vendors for the Oct. 23-24 event. A list will be shared prior to the conference so all members will have an opportunity to bid on the packages ranging in value from $100 to nearly $1,000.

The International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) has launched a new education section on its website (sportsheritage.test) that features museum-related assets and forms contributed by fellow members as well as a section for members to contribute educational articles.

The new section, titled ISHA University, has a members-only password protected area that features assets and forms categorized by the following (sportsheritage.test/members-area/assets/):

  • Collection
  • Curatorial/Exhibits
  • Marketing/Programming (events)
  • Museum Education/School groups/Other groups
  • Staffing
  • Retail
  • Emergencies
  • Development/Fundraising
  • Other

Additionally, there is an ISHA University information page (sportsheritage.test/members-area/isha-university-information/), which will be the home to educational articles contributed by members but in a public section of the website.

“The ISHA board wanted to provide a tidy package of educational offerings to its members,” ISHA president Bryan Morry said. “Nobody can help answer institutional questions better than peers in the field. So we have many documents and forms categorized so members can easily access them. We also want our members to contribute articles that could be helpful to colleagues. There are currently nearly 50 forms and documents accessible and we hope to continually add to this.

“One of the best things about ISHA is that members are so willing to share information with one another. We hope this program continues to grow and serves the sports heritage industry for years to come,” Morry added.

The ISHA board encourages members to share any documents or forms that might be helpful to peers while also reviewing the available selection. To contribute and asset or an article, one can email [email protected] with the subject ISHA U CONTRIBUTION.

ISHA Announces Grants for Conference, Special Project

The International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) is pleased to announce the availability of four different grants totaling nearly $5,000 that are available to members. The grants are supported through the ISHA Founder’s Fund.

The ISHA board of directors approved two conference travel grants available to members in good standing. Each is worth up to $1,000. These grants are available for institution members, including emerging professionals and members living outside Canada and the United States of America. Two other grants are available to cover the costs of conference registration only.

Additionally, ISHA is offering a Special Project Grant of up to $2,000 available to member institutions. This grant may be used for projects that increase collection capacity, public access, awareness and interpretation, as well as improve documentation and preservation.

The deadline for the conference registration and travel grants is June 30, 2019. Decisions are expected to be made by mid-August, offering members the opportunity to take advantage of reduced transportation costs. The application is available online and attached. Please email completed applications to [email protected]

Additional requirements can be found on the applications.

The annual ISHA Conference will be held from Oct. 23-24, 2019, in Wichita, Kansas, and will be hosted by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

The Founder’s Fund raises money to support ISHA grants through initiatives like the silent auction, reverse raffle and individual or corporate donations. In 2020 a sponsor will be sought to fund one of the $1,000 travel grants.