Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
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[edit] History
- Kansas Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1967 as part of the Kansas Centennial Celebration. Funding for operating expenses is provided in part by donations, admissions, gift shop sales, and special events. The Hall of Fame has 166 inductees; new members are inducted each fall. The Hallis located in Wichita, Kansas at 238 N. Mead. The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving the history of sports for the state to serve as a source for education and inspiration to all generations. The mission is achieved through providing exhibits, archives, facilities, services, and activities to honor those individual and teams whose achievements in sports have brought distinction to themselves, to their communities and to the entire state of Kansas. The 27,000 square-foot Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is not only a great family attraction; it is also one of Wichita's most outstanding facilities for entertaining. The Hall can be used for special events, receptions, and conferences in a variety of settings.
The museum was founded in 1961 and has had several different homes over the years. Including the Class of 2007, there are 166 people enshrined in the museum. The list of Hall-of-Famers includes:
[edit] What to see
[edit] Basketball
A walk through history is what is in store for you in the majestic Kansas basketball gallery. Kansas is called the “Cradle of Basketball.” Basketball’s inventor, Dr. James Naismith, is featured on two U.S. postage stamps and the namesake of the National Basketball Hall of Fame.You will see legendary coaches such as Phog Allen, Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Ralph Miller, Eddie Sutton, Jack Hartman, Tex Winter, Gene Keady, *Jack Gardner, Dutch Lonborg, Ralph Nolan, Bill Morse, Ron Slaymaker, Bob Chipman, John McLendon, and Walt Shublom.
You’ll see photos and memorabilia from women basketball legend like Lynette Woodard, Jackie Stiles, Kendra Wecker, Nicole Ohlde, Laurie Koehn, Billie Moore, and Marian Washington.
See live in-person NBA and Kansas College jerseys, balls, trophies, plaques and highlights of Kansas high school basketball make this an experience you won’t forget. Prep Dynasties of tiny Dwight High School, McPherson, Newton, and Wyandotte are prominent as well as recognition of the awesome Bishop Miege High School and Little River Girls basketball dominance.
[edit] Football
Jerseys, helmets, balls, All-America awards and certificates won by Kansans John Hadl, John Riggins, Lynn Dickey, Gale Sayers, Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders, Nolan Cromwell, and Mike McCormack are located in this gallery.
The Governor’s Cup, given annually to the winner of the Kansas State University vs. Kansas University game is on display. A tribute to K-State’s national prominence under Coach Bill Snyder features one of the best photo collections and game programs on the Wildcats dynasty anywhere.
You can also pay your respects to the tragic WSU plane crash that killed so many Shocker football players in October of 1970.
Kansas’ fabulous small college football history includes Pittsburg State’s national dominance under coaches Carnie Smith, Dennis Franchione, and Chuck Broyles, Bethany College and Coach Ted Kessinger, Coffeyville Community College and Coach Dick Foster and much, much more.
Kansas’ colorful high school football exhibits include items from perennial state powers Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Lawrence, Midway-Denton, Pittsburg-Colgan, Conway Springs and feature Kansas prep stars like DeAngelo Evans of Wichita Collegiate, Shannon Kruger of Silver Lake,John Riggins of Centralia and Hall of Fame coaches Ed Kriwiel and Al Woolard.
[edit] Baseball
Some of baseball’s legendary Kansas stars such as Cooperstown Hall of Famers Walter Johnson, Joe Tinker and Fred Clarke are beautifully presented in the baseball gallery. Photos and memorabilia of the great Wichita State Shocker program under Coach Gene Stephenson with stars like Joe Carter, Darren Dreifort, Dick Sanders, and Mike Pelfry are surrounded by vintage photos and memorabilia including autographed pieces by Johnson, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Mel Ott and countless others.
The Coleman Company/Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the Collegiate Catcher of the Year by the Wichita Sports Commission is also on display here at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame as are items from numerous Kansas baseball icons including: Hap Dumont, Elden Auker, Bill Russell, Ralph Houk, Gene Mauch, Daryl Spencer, and Murry Dickson.
[edit] Track and Field
Kansas enjoys a reputation as one of the nation’s leading producers of track and Olympic stars and this gallery shows why. Two Olympic gold medals are on display as well as shoes worn by world record holders Jim Ryun, Wes Santee, Al Oerter, Glenn Cunningham and Thane Baker.
Olympic champions Billy Mills, Bill Nieder, Maurice Greene, John Kuck, Catherine Fox, Peter Mehringer and Kenny Harrison – and others, are prominently presented. You will also see a high jump bar set at 7’ 4 ½”, the Kansas high school record set by Brad Speer of Wichita East in 1984, and hundreds of photos of Kansas high school and college standouts.
[edit] Traveling Exhibits
==== THE NAZI OLYMPICS Berlin 1936 ==== [1]
In August 1936, Adolf Hitler's Nazi dictatorship hosted the Summer Olympics. Softpedaling its anti-Semitic agenda and plans for territorial expansion, the regime exploited the Games to deceive foreign visitors with an image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.
THE NAZI OLYMPICS Berlin 1936 highlights the stories of athletes who boycotted, participated in, or were barred from the Games. Using historical photographs, film, and the testimonies of athletes, the exhibition documents the Nazification of German sport and the boycott controversy.
Exhibit runs through April 6, 2008
==== LINEDRIVES AND LIPSTICK:: The Untold Story of Women's Baseball ====[2]
Sounds of America’s pastime: the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, the cheers of “Atta girl!” While the 1992 film A League of Their Own introduced contemporary audiences to the WWII-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, women’s baseball actually began with the creation of the Vassar College team in 1866.
Linedrives and Lipstick showcases many of the pioneering players, including Maggie Riley, Connie “Iron Woman” Wisniewski, and Ruth “Tex” Lessing, who garnered cheers from adoring fans—and braved critics’ jeers—as they barnstormed across the country from one game to the next. While the boys of summer remained paramount in the minds of many fans, their female counterparts played with enthusiasm and pride on teams like the All-Star Ranger Girls, Philadelphia Bobbies, Rockford Peaches, Baltimore Black Sox Colored Girls, and Racine Belles.
Exhibit dates September 1 - October 20, 2008
[edit] Board of Trustees
Rita Bicknell
George Fahnestock
Bill Moore
Dr. Duane Muck – Chairman
Ron Slaymaker
Bill Snyder
Rick Williamson
[edit] Board of Directors
Barry Schwan – President
Ted Hayes – Executive Director
Dan Peare – Secretary
Robert Hanson – Treasurer
[edit] Other Directors include
Allen Bell
Tim Daniel
Brice Durbin
Ron Holt
Richard Konzem
Olivia Simmons
Howard Sherwood
[edit] Hours of Operation
Monday – Saturday 9a-5p
Sunday – 1p-5p
Closed: New Years Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day
Tours: All tours are self-guided unless advance reservations are made for guided tour. Guided tours are provided at no charges for school groups and youth organization with reservations. A minimum $25 guided tour fee applies to all other groups.
Rent the Hall of Fame: The 27,000 square-foot Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is not only a great family attraction; it is also one of Wichita’s most novel facilities for entertaining. You can use the Hall for special events, receptions, and conferences in a variety of settings. We are conveniently located in the vibrant heart of Old Town and within walking distance of numerous one-of-a-kind shops, restaurants, and attractions. ADA accessible.
