Did you know that Denver was awarded the 1976 Winter Olympic Games, but ultimately rejected them?
Learn what happened and how the forces at work then still resonate today in this fascinating foray into an often-forgotten corner of Colorado's history. 

Space is limited. Please register to attend.

Denver’s selection as the host city for the 1976 Winter Olympic Games signaled the city’s, and more broadly the state’s, arrival on the world stage. But Olympic preparations immediately fell into discord over fears around taxes, growth, and the environment. The controversy over the '76 Winter Olympics brought these issues squarely to the forefront of Colorado politics, where they remain today. Most notably, the debate highlighted the mounting costs of Colorado’s rapidly expanding ski industry, from its economic demands to its impacts on mountain environments and overall quality of life. Author of Colorado Powder Keg: Ski Resorts and the Environmental Movement, Dr. Michael Childers, will discuss why Colorado sought the Winter Olympics, the fight over its impacts, and the long-term implications for the state, both then and now.

About Michael Childers

Dr. Childers is an Associate Professor in the History Department at Colorado State University, specializing in the modern American West and the environment. He is the Associate Editor of the Western Historical Quarterly and a council member of the Public and Environmental History Center. He's been featured in Outside Magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and NPR's Morning Edition, where he discussed the U.S. ski industry and national parks. A sixth-generation Coloradoan and second-generation CSU alumnus, Dr. Childers has deep connections to Colorado and its environment. His first book, Colorado Powder Keg: Ski Resorts and the Environmental Movement, examined the history of Colorado’s ski industry and the emergence of the postindustrial West, in which mountains became more valuable as ski resorts than as rangelands. The book was awarded the International Ski History Association's Ullr Award and was runner-up for the Western Writers of America's Spur Award in 2013.