 University of Georgia-Centennial Olympic Games collection
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteIn the summer of 1996, the University of Georgia and the Athens-Clarke County were afforded the unique opportunity of becoming active participants in the Centennial Olympic Games, hosted by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG). The head of ACOG, William "Billy" Payne, sought to involve the University of Georgia, his alma mater, as a venue in the Olympics, and was able to bring three sports to Athens. The University's Coliseum was the venue for volleyball and rhythmic gymnastics, and a modified Sanford Stadium (minus the famous "hedges") was the site of medal round men's and women's soccer competitions. The games opened on July 19th, and closed on August 4th, 1996. To make the games possible, thousands worked behind the scenes from the moment that Atlanta was selected as the site of the games in 1990. The work of preparing the University and Athens for the games took countless volunteer hours and years of planning. Scope and ContentThe collection consists of planning documents, publicity files, press and memorabilia associated with the University of Georgia's role in the 1996 Summer Olympics. Most planning files in the collection focus on preparing UGA athletic venues, such as Sanford Stadium and Stegeman Coliseum, for Olympic use. Other files concern volunteer work, public safety, publicity, and press. A wide range of UGA and Olympic memorabilia is also included, consisting of apparel, hats, commemorative pins and buttons, and posters. In addition there are a number of photographs featuring such activities as Soccer, Volleyball and Circus America. Organization and ArrangementThe collection is arranged into three series: 1. Planning and Press Files, 2. Memorabilia and 3. Photographs. Administrative InformationPreferred CitationUniversity of Georgia-Centennial Olympic Games collection, UA97-110, University Archives, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries. Finding Aid PublicationFinding aid prepared on: 2015. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject Terms | ||||||||||||||||||