National Western’s history to come alive at new Wold Family Heritage Center

Major gift will open priceless archives to the public; year-round exhibits share values, culture and characters of the West

DENVER, Jan. 26, 2019 – A family with its own remarkable history in the West has made a major gift to preserve Western history and, in particular, the history of the National Western Stock Show.

The Wold Foundation’s generous gift to the Honoring the Legacy campaign supports the new National Western Center and makes possible the Wold Family Heritage Center (WFHC). To be located prominently on the first floor of the new Legacy Building and easily accessible to visitors year-round, the WFHC will be a place to learn about the history of the Stock Show, farming, ranching, and the rodeo traditions that emerged from life in the rural West. The WFHC will showcase the immense societal, cultural, and economic contributions of Western ranching and agriculture and will open a unique window into Western history.

The WFHC will be home to the Western Stock Show Association’s vast collection of photos, documents, and artifacts dating back more than a century.

“The Wold Family Heritage Center will connect countless visitors to the West’s past in ways that weren’t possible when the National Western’s extraordinary archives were in storage – as they have been for more than a century,” said Pete Coors, chairman and chief customer relations officer of the Molson Coors Brewing Company and chairman of the Honoring the Legacy campaign. “The Wold family’s gift goes beyond bricks and mortar. It will impart vital historical perspective and awareness of the Western legacy of hard work, creativity and collegiality that represent the very best of our region to this day.”

“Until now, all this history has been locked away,” said Paul Andrews, President and CEO of the Western Stock Show Association. “With the creation of the Wold Family Heritage Center, the public will finally be able to access and experience a tapestry of artifacts that really tell the story of National Western and the West.”

Given the family’s own remarkable history, it’s fitting that the Wolds would support the creation of the WFHC. John Wold, born in 1916, married his sweetheart Jane and started work as a geologist in the Texas oil fields. In 1950, he settled in Wyoming, where he founded his own oil and gas business.

John Wold’s children, Peter, Jack, and Priscilla, were born and raised in Casper, Wyo., where the family shares a rich history. The Wold Companies now span three generations with offices in Casper and Denver, Colo. While Wold businesses are predominately focused on oil and gas, the cattle business is one of the family’s great passions. Its Hole-in-the-Wall Ranch in southwest Johnson County, Wyo. – near the “Hole-in-the-Wall” pass of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid fame – is known for its history, wildlife and superb Black Angus beef.

“This gift will let us share so many Western stories with the wider world,” said Pat Grant, chairman of the Western Stock Show Association board. “We are thrilled with the prospects of the Wold Family Heritage Center, which I expect will be a must-see stop for National Western Center visitors for decades to come.”

About the Honoring the Legacy Campaign

The $100 million Honoring the Legacy campaign supports four major new facilities at the heart of the nearly billion-dollar urban renewal project to expand today’s National Western Complex into a year-round National Western Center for education, entertainment and agricultural innovation. Those four facilities include the Legacy Building, the Ron and Cille Williams Yards, the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center, and the Equestrian Center. The expansion and development of these new facilities will greatly enhance the visitor experience, provide the capacity to host a wider array of events throughout the year, and support increased attendance at other National Western Center facilities, both existing and future. For more information, visit honoringthelegacycampaign.com.

About the National Western Center

The new National Western Center represents a visionary transformation of the National Western Complex into a year-round destination that will not only provide a home to the incomparable National Western Stock Show for the next 100 years, but also will expand and enhance this regional asset into a world-class hub for agriculture, education and innovation. For more information, visit www.NationalWesternCenter.com.

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