Tag Archives: American Heritage Center

The Purple Crusader: Wilma Soss’s Financial Revolution

Picture this: It’s 1949, and a woman in a vibrant purple Victorian costume storms into a U.S. Steel shareholders meeting, demanding change. This wasn’t a historical reenactment gone wrong—it was Wilma Soss, making her theatrical debut in the world of … Continue reading

Posted in American business history, Corporate activism, Financial education, Uncategorized, women's history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mort Weisinger: The Man Behind Superman in Comics’ Silver Age

Ever wonder who gave Superman his Fortress of Solitude, or why kryptonite comes in so many colors? Meet Mortimer “Mort” Weisinger, the unsung architect of Superman’s expansive mythology during the Silver Age of Comics. Born in April 1915 in New … Continue reading

Posted in Comic book history, science fiction, Silver Age of Comics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wyoming Governor Frank Emerson’s KKK Conundrum

In the complex landscape of 1920s American politics, the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan emerged as a significant, if geographically uneven, force. Even in Wyoming, far from the Klan’s southern roots, politicians found themselves navigating tricky waters when it … Continue reading

Posted in 1920s America, Gubernatorial Campaigns, Politics, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Behind the Curtain: A Look at The Wizard of Oz’s Difficult Production 85 Years Later

As a lifelong Oz fan, 1939’s The Wizard of Oz has been a throughline of positive memories for me. My parents called me “munchky” growing up, a nickname that would be apt when I made my stage debut as a … Continue reading

Posted in Actors, Entertainment history, Film History, Hollywood history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

James L. Ehernberger Wins Prestigious Senior Achievement Award!

On April 20, 2024, long-time friend, donor, and benefactor of the American Heritage Center and the University of Wyoming, James L. Ehernberger, was honored with the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society’s Gerald M. Best Senior Achievement Award for his more … Continue reading

Posted in awards, Railroad History, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

From the Archives to the Airwaves: Taylor Swift’s ‘Clara Bow’ and the AHC’s Scrapbook

Sometimes you find remarkably topical surprises in the archives, like the recent discovery of a scrapbook devoted to Clara Bow in the Samuel Anthony Peeples papers at the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. This treasure trove of newspaper clippings, … Continue reading

Posted in Celebrity Culture, Film History, music, Pop Culture Icons, popular culture, Uncategorized, Women in Hollywood, Women in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stan Lee and the Comic Book Boom

Beginning the late 1960’s, Stan Lee and Marvel Comics started to reach beyond the audience of just the United States and into global popular culture. Marvel’s characters and stories possessed universal themes and relatable qualities that touched readers from all … Continue reading

Posted in Comic book history, exhibits, Fan Culture, Marvel Comics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Remembering Antoine Predock: A Visionary Architect and His Legacy

Antoine Predock, the visionary architect behind the University of Wyoming’s Centennial Complex, passed away on March 2, 2024, at the age of 87. The iconic structure, designed to house the American Heritage Center and the Art Museum, was composed of … Continue reading

Posted in American Heritage Center, Architecture, Centennial Complex, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Behind the Scenes at the Cone: Handing out History

By now, you’ve learned how the American Heritage Center (AHC) intakes, processes, and digitizes history from both the University of Wyoming, the West, and around the country. But how can people like yourselves, who want to view these documents, go … Continue reading

Posted in Accessing historical documents, American Heritage Center, Archival reference services, Research and reference, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Behind the Scenes at the Cone: Digitizing History

In this day and age, technology is everywhere and embedded in everything we see and do. But how do we digitize historical documents while perfectly preserving them? Well, the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center has someone named Halena Bagdonas, … Continue reading

Posted in American Heritage Center, Archival work, Digital collections, Digitization techniques, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment