from the 1957 Houstonian yearbook and available for download in the Digital Library

As the heat and humidity crank up and students return to campus to begin the summer session, the changing of the season also marks the final days of the latest exhibition from the University of Houston Special Collections.  “Frontier Fiesta:  The Greatest College Show on Earth,” available for viewing on the first floor of the M.D. Anderson Library, ends its run on Friday, June 6th.

Every spring, give or take a few years, Frontier Fiesta sees students at the University of Houston turn a small part of our campus into a living and breathing ol’ western frontier town known as Fiesta City, complete with cook-offs, music, and themed performances.  The annual event debuted in 1940 and WWII threatened to end the tradition before it even began.  Following the war years, however, it resumed and grew into an event like no other.  By the early 1950s it had been proclaimed by Life magazine to be the “Greatest College Show on Earth,”  and its rising popularity served as a fundraising mechanism for the students, bringing in funds for a campus recreation center and swimming pool in its early years and later helping to provide scholarships.

Gov. Allan Shivers signs the Fiesta City charter making it an official township in the state of Texas (1952)

Through the years the event has grown, morphed, and has now further evolved for a new generation of Cougars and Houstonians.  All the while, Frontier Fiesta has provided a subtle insight into the story of the University itself and its relationship with the City of Houston.  Celebrating the history of one of the University’s most enduring and colorful traditions, “Frontier Fiesta:  The Greatest College Show on Earth,” curated by University Archivist Mary Manning, tells that remarkable story with artifacts from the UH Frontier Fiesta Collection, items from other collections in the University Archives, as well as mementos and keepsakes generously shared by University and community partners.

We will miss our “Mini-Fiesta-City” that has become a fixture on the Library’s first floor, but as the seasons bring us something new so does our calendar of exhibits.  Up next?  Well, we won’t spoil the fun too much.  However, Archivist Julie Grob is currently hard at work curating our next exhibit, pulling from the rich Contemporary Literature collections held here at the University of Houston.  Look for the curtain to rise on this exhibit Friday, June 20th.

* Until then, don’t miss this last chance to catch the Greatest College Show on Earth–until spring 2015, that is.  Another spring will see tomorrow’s UH students continue that tradition started back in 1940 and, once again, resurrect Fiesta City out of some dusty corner of campus.