On Sunday, October 20, 2024, at 2 pm, Historian Richard Melzer will pay tribute to one of the most honored athletes in the history of the University of New Mexico. The program will be held at the Albuquerque Museum at 2000 Mountain Rd. NW in Old Town. Parking is free in the lot south of the Museum. Admission to the Museum and the AHS program is also free.
Don Perkins was one of the greatest, most popular football players in the University of New Mexico’s history. He went on to become an equally great player for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s. But Don’s story is about far more than his football career. It is the story of the poverty he faced as a boy growing up in Waterloo, Iowa, and the racism he faced in Iowa and Dallas. It is also the story of how Don dealt with these challenges, making him, as the title of Richard Melzer’s book suggests, a true champion. This presentation will review Don’s life and why he and his family chose Albuquerque to live in and thrive.
Richard Melzer is originally from Teddy Roosevelt’s hometown of Oyster Bay, New York. He has lived in New Mexico since 1973. Dr. Melzer earned his Ph.D. in History at UNM in 1979. He taught history at the University of New Mexico’s Valencia Campus from 1979 to 2019, retiring as a UNM Regents professor of history. He is a past two-term president of the Historical Society of New Mexico. He is the author, co-author, or editor of over a hundred articles and chapters as well as over 30 books about New Mexico history. Ten of his books have won major book awards. Among the many awards he has received for writing, teaching, and service to his profession, he is most proud of receiving the University of New Mexico’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award. Dr. Melzer and his wife, Rena, live in Belen, New Mexico.
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