National Archives Public Programs Related To New Sports History Exhibit
Press Release · Thursday, October 13, 2022

Washington, DC

The National Archives celebrates the opening of its new exhibit exploring the role of sports in creating, spreading, and promoting American identity, All American: The Power of Sports, with a series of exciting public programs in October and December. 

The programs are free and open to the public and will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, and streamed online unless otherwise noted. Attendees should use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street, NW. Metro accessible on the Yellow and Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station.

Related Exhibit: All American: The Power of Sports
The power of sports has many applications. Sports unite people, teach values, and inspire hope and pride. In the United States, sports have powered efforts to bring citizens together, shape them, and project a vision of what it means to be American. But sports convey power to athletes too—power to break social barriers and protest injustice. All American explores the power of sports both to embody our national ideals and challenge us to live up to them.

All American is free and open to the public and is on display in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, through January 7, 2024. This 3,000-square-foot exhibit showcases more than 75 items including original records, artifacts, and photographs. Highlights include original sports equipment and jerseys given by star athletes to Presidents, early 20th-century tobacco baseball cards, trophies, rare pictures and film footage, patents, and more.

(In Person Only) Family Day – Sports in the Archives 
Saturday, October 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET
Boeing Learning Center, National Archives Museum, Washington, DC
Play ball! Join us at the National Archives as we explore the wide world of sporting with our new exhibit, All American: The Power of Sports. Participate in exciting activities and learn how well-known athletes and competitions shaped American history, on and off the field. Whether you are a star athlete or a sideline spectator, this Family Day has records and activities for you!

(In Person & Online) Curator Lecture – All American: The Power of Sports with Alice Kamps
Wednesday, October 26, at noon ET
Watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
Alice Kamps, curator for the National Archives Museum, will present an illustrated lecture on the conception, research, and execution of the exhibit All American: The Power of Sports, currently on display in the Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery.

(Online Only) Young Learners Program – Meet Babe Didrikson
October 28, at 11 a.m. ET
Watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
Actor Linda Kenyon portrays Babe Didrikson, a two-time gold medal Olympian who broke many barriers for women in sports. She was a multisport athlete but eventually became a professional golfer who revolutionized the game. She won the U.S. Women’s Open twice. She eventually helped found the Ladies Professional Golf Association and inspired all with her confidence and passion for athleticism. Babe Didrikson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to athletics and as an advocate for cancer awareness.

(In Person & Online) Book Talk – Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe
December 1, at 7 p.m. ET
Watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
Author David Maraniss’s new biography traces Jim Thorpe’s rise to world fame as a mythic talent who excelled at every sport. He won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, was an All American football player at the Carlisle Indian School, the star of the first class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and played major league baseball for John McGraw’s New York Giants. Even in a golden age of sports celebrities, he was one of a kind. Maraniss will be joined by special guest Anita Thorpe, Jim Thorpe's granddaughter. A book signing will follow the program.

(Online Only) Book Talk – If Gold Is Our Destiny: How a Team of Mavericks Came Together for Olympic Glory
Wednesday, December 14, at 1 p.m. ET
Watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
In the early 1980s, a golden generation of volleyball players joined the U.S. men’s national team. With the Olympics coming to Los Angeles in 1984, the pressure was on to build a winning program around these exceptional athletes. In If Gold Is Our Destiny, author Sean P. Murray shares the incredible story of how a group of free-spirited players and their demanding coach captured the heart of a nation and became one of the greatest indoor volleyball teams of all time. As the team struggled leading up to the Olympics, head coach Doug Beal mandated a highly controversial three-week Outward Bound hike across one hundred miles in the Canyonlands and Abajo Mountains in Utah. Murray details all the internal strife and heartwarming triumphs and reveals how the team used this newfound trust to implement an innovative approach to volleyball that changed not only their success on the court but the sport itself on a global scale.

All American: The Power of Sports and programs presented in conjunction with the exhibit are made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of AT&T, AARP, and Mars, Incorporated. Additional support provided by HISTORY® and the Lawrence F. O’Brien Family. Opening Month support provided by Anheuser-Busch.