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History on display: Kansas Sports Museum showcases state-wide athletics
Published 7/27/2010 in Sports
By BRETT MARSHALL
bmarshall@gctelegram.com
NEWTON — Perhaps it is a fitting testament that the Kansas Sports Museum is located at the Chisholm Trail Center, two miles south of downtown Newton on I-135 and just two miles from U.S. Highway 50.
The Chisholm Trail was one of the main traveling byways for pioneers of the west in the 1800s when they came to settle in the Sunflower state.
Now, the Kansas Sports Museum occupies a 22,000-square foot building, housing artifacts from some of the most illustrious sports personalities Kansas has produced.
The Museum is a division of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, which is located at the remodeled historic Wichita Boathouse in downtown Wichita.
Each October, an induction ceremony is celebrated at the Boathouse and this year it will take place Oct. 3 when 11 individuals will be inducted.
Currently, the museum is hosting an exhibit from the Pro Football Hall of Fame entitled "Pro Football and the American Spirit." The exhibit focuses on pro football players who have served in the military. It will be on display through Sept. 26. In October and November there will be an exhibit focusing on Eight-Man football in Kansas, which has been organized by the Hall of Fame staff.
There is a wide range of exhibits at the museum, including sections for Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Wichita State University, as well as Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University and Emporia State University.
Junior colleges are represented by an NJCAA display area focusing on the national basketball tournament that has been played in Hutchinson since the late 1940s.
James Naismith, the founder of basketball, has his own corner display as well. Olympians from Kansas in all sports are also highlighted. High schools focusing on all sports also commands a big area of the museum.
Walking through portions of the museum, one can find photographs of Ingalls to commemorate its Eight-Man football championship; a sign on the outskirts of Scott City that summarizes its various state championships; a picture of Leoti native Steve Tasker, one of the premier special teams players in NFL history.
Visitors can find stories of Ray "Hap" Dumont, the founder of the National Baseball Congress which conducts its annual national tournament in Wichita each summer; boxers such as Jess Willard; shooting champions highlighted by Iva Pembridge, one of the world's top shooters and an inaugural inductee into the Hall of Fame in 1961.
There's Shalee Lehning's No. 13 jersey from Sublette High School, where she led the Lady Larks to 52 consecutive victories and back-to-back Class 2A state basketball titles in 2004 and 2005.
Lynette Woodard, a Wichita native and college standout at KU, was the first female to play for the Harlem Globetrotters and there's a display about her story.
The Sports Hall of Fame was originally located in downtown Lawrence, moved to Abilene and eventually moved to Wichita. The current museum was opened in January and is managed by former Hutchinson News sports editor Harold Bechard.
"We're getting some traffic here but we'd like to see more," Bechard said. "There's a lot of wonderful history here about sports and sports people in Kansas. A person can take as little or as much time to view the displays as they want and I think a person could see most everything in a couple of hours."
Bechard is excited about next year when Kansas celebrates the 100th anniversary of the state basketball tournament with a special display, and in 2012 the state celebrates the 40th anniversary of the introduction of girls sports into its educational system.
"We're continuing to get the word out telling people what we do, who we are and what they can see," Bechard said.
The Hall of Fame and Museum are funded by private donations and rental income from the Boathouse for weddings, parties and business functions. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students K-12 while children under 6 are free with adults. Seniors (65 and over), military veterans and active in service, AARP and AAA members are charged $6. There is a family rate as well (any combination of family members — three for $18 or four at $22. Five or more family members together can enter for $5 a person. A gift shop is also located in the building and people can buy souvenirs from their favorite Kansas university.
There are 190 individuals who have been inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
For more information go to www.kshof.org or call 316-804-4686.
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