Description
Cancelled: The late Don Perkins was the University of New Mexico’s first All-American football player and one of the original Dallas Cowboys. His story is about his career in football, but there is so much more: as a broadcaster, actor, community leader, and even a truck driver. This presentation looks at the challenges Perkins faced, especially racism in sports and society in the 1960s. The presentation is based on Richard Melzer’s new book, Don Perkins: A Champion’s Life.
Richard Melzer was a Regents’ professor of history at UNM’s Valencia Campus, where he taught for more than 35 years before his recent retirement. He has authored or edited more than 30 books and more than 100 articles about New Mexico history. He is a former president of the Historical Society of New Mexico.