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Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Springfield, MO - The Archery Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. (AHF) has moved from Angola, Indiana to its new home in Springfield, Missouri. The AHF will be located at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in an area designated by Bass Pro Shops for use by the nonprofit Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium. .
Springfield, MO - The Archery Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. (AHF) has moved from Angola, Indiana to its new home in Springfield, Missouri. The AHF will be located at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in an area designated by Bass Pro Shops for use by the nonprofit Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium. The Bass Pro Shops store is the number one tourist attraction in the state of Missouri.
"The AHF was founded in 1971 as a way to recognize outstanding members of the archery community," stated Executive Director, Donald L. Clark. "Through a nominating and voting process, the electorate inducts members from the following categories: Bow Hunter, Coach, Competitor to the Sport, Educator and Influence on the Sport."
The AHFs first induction was held at the Fred Bear Museum at the Bear Archery Company in Grayling, Michigan in 1972. All future AHF inductions will take place in Springfield, Missouri.
The original inductees in 1972 included -- Fred Bear, Howard Hill, and Ann Hoyt -- who were giants in their own areas of modern archery history. Bow hunting icons Saxton Pope and Art Young were inducted in 1973, Earl Hoyt, Jr., one of the sports great innovators was inducted in 1977. Other notable inductees include champion tournament archer, bow hunter spokesperson and mentor Ann Clark (1984), founder of the Pope & Young Club Glenn St. Charles (1991), internationally known bow hunter and book author Bob Swinehart (2000), and one of todays most recognizable writers/bow hunters and founder of Bowhunter Magazine, MR James in 2003.
"The vision, dedication and passion Johnny Morris and the people at Bass Pro Shops have for creating the premier presentation of Americas sporting heritage unites us in an ideal partnership to showcase archerys past, present and future," commented AHF president, Dave Staples. "The AHF looks forward to working with the Bass Pro Shops team and the Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium in the promulgation of archery, bow hunting and all of the shooting sports."
The new site for the AHF at Bass Pro Shops will also include displays of Hall members memorabilia, trophy mounts, archery archives, and a research library devoted to the sport, people and industry of archery. Visitors will be able to touch, see, hear, and experience archery history and walk away with a better understanding of modern mans timeless romance with the bow and arrow. They will also discover how these ancient implements of primitive sustenance and warfare gradually evolved into the 21st century archery tackle that so successfully blends tradition with technological progress.
"We are thrilled with this wonderful addition to Americas premier fish and wildlife museum," said Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium interim director, Max Peterson. "The Archery Hall of Fame and Museum will mirror our mission which is to educate, inform and entertain our visitors as well as help them appreciate our heritage of hunting and fishing."
"Its important to recognize the people who made outstanding contributions to the sport of archery and for people to learn more about the history behind it," stated Bass Pro Shops founder, Johnny Morris. "All of us at Bass Pro Shops are proud that with the recent move of the Fred Bear Museum and this move of the Archery Hall of Fame and Museum to our store, we will be able to partner these two significant elements of archery history together in the Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium and help pass on this great outdoor tradition to future generations."
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Friday, October 01, 2004
Archery Hall of Fame Presents
$200,000 Grant
to Wonders of Wildlife Museum
Don Clark, Executive Director of the Archery Hall of Fame and Museum presents Tony Schoonen, Executive Director of the Wonders of Wildlife, with a check for $200,000.
Don Clark, Executive Director of the Archery Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., recently presented Tony Schoonen, Executive Director of the Wonders of Wildlife, with a check for $200,000k to assist in funding the mission and the expansion of the Museum complex housed adjacent to Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri.
Wonders of Wildlife, the National Fish & Wildlife Museum & Zooquarium, is the cornerstone of the complex that will also house the Archery Hall of Fame and Museum and the Fred
Bear Museum. It is the goal of Wonders of Wildlife to create a world-class facility that provides a quality interactive outdoor experience to audiences of all ages and instill an appreciation of hunting, fishing and out outdoor heritage. The Archery Hall of Fame is the first of a group of marketing partners to step forward with a major contribution to the expansion.
The Archery Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. was founded in 1971 as part of the Archery Manufacturers Association. It became an independent corporation in 1976. Since that time, 54 outstanding members of the archery community have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In receiving the check, Tony Schoonen said, "We are very proud and honored to have the Archery Hall of Fame and Museum call the Wonders of Wildlife and the City of Springfield home. Hundreds of thousands of people will be able to enjoy and understand our rich heritage of archery. The generosity of Ann Hoyt and the Archery Hall of Fame is indicative of the quality of people involved in this great sport."
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