Tuesday, September 06, 2011

The University of North Carolina Wilmington's Randall Library will debut an exhibit focused on sports history and memorabilia from during and after World War II. The John Gunn Collection will be on display in Special Collections from Sept. 9 through Dec. 15, 2011.

Acquired from former Wilmington residents John and Joan Gunn, the collection is primarily focused on college and professional football and basketball, but also includes publications related to professional baseball and military sports programs. It includes books, magazines, periodicals, game-day programs, rule books and statistics, clippings, newspapers, correspondence, photographs and other associated sports memorabilia.

The public is invited to visit the exhibit during Special Collections hours, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon.

An Illinois native, Gunn joined the Marine Corps in 1953 and was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, where he met his wife, Joan, who was also stationed at MCAS. He served two years active duty and 26 in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring as a colonel in 1983. Gunn was a reporter for the Wilmington Star-News for two years during the 1950s, and the couple's first child was born here. Even after moving on to jobs in several other locations, Gunn maintained connections to Wilmington, and he was a frequent visitor back to the Port City.

The author of two books about Marine Corps football history, The Old Core and (Quite) A Few Good Men, Gunn also was instrumental in assisting Wilbur Jones, a retired Navy captain, Wilmington author and military historian, with his book "Football! Navy! War!": How Military "Lend-Lease" Players Saved the College Game and Helped Win World War II (McFarland Publishing Inc., 2009).

Gunn allowed Jones full access to his vast sports library at his residence in Gulf Breeze, Fla. At that time, Gunn said he believed the collection was the largest private sports library collection in the country. Consequently, much of the research material Jones used in writing the book came from Gunn. After Gunn was admitted into an assisted living residence, Jones helped the family determine what to do with the collection, suggesting that it be donated to Randall Library, which received the collection in January 2009.

Gunn currently resides in a Pensacola nursing home. His daughter, Victoria, said that the UNCW exhibit has made him "so proud to know that others can now share his love of sports."

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.508.3127 or fischettid@uncw.edu