Pan-American Games Society(1967) fonds, 1963-1970

MSS 28

1.2 m of textual records

The Pan American Games began in 1940. Twenty-one countries from the western hemisphere were called together by the Argentine Olympic Committee to discuss the establishment of the games. It was believed that the Pan American Games would provide amateur athletes added international competition between each Olympiad. Sixteen national olympic committees sent representatives to the meeting and it was decided that the games would be held every four years beginning in 1942. The games, however, were delayed for nine years, the first being held in Buenos Aries, Brazil in 1951. The 1955 games were held in Mexico City, the 1959 games in Chicago, the 1963 games at Sao Paulo, Brazil and the 1967 games, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1967, twenty-nine countries entered athletes in a program which included baseball, basketball, boxing, cycling, judo, rowing, fencing, shooting, soccer, football, water polo, weightlifting, wrestling, yachting, gymnastics, swimming, diving, tennis, and volleyball. Synchronized swimming and canoeing were included as "exhibition sports."

Donated by the Pan American Games Society through Jim Daly, 1979

The collection contains the administrative working papers of the Society from 1963 to 1970. These are primarily the legal, financial, and committee papers preparatory to the actual start of the Games in July 1967. It is a comprehensive administrative record of minutes, correspondence, legal agreements and contracts regarding facilities, staffing, publicity, and funding for staging the Games. A few post-Games papers reflect on the Society and its eventual dissolution in 1970. Not included are records of the games themselves, i.e., the day-by-day chronicle and description of athletic performances

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