The very beautiful collection with what can only be described as singularly unique decals reflects what had been an under appreciated football history and perhaps, an unappreciated venue for higher education. As a high school player, I cannot recall ever hearing the words “University of Hawaii” nor was any reference made to it relative to athletics or academics. Not a single high school nor college coach, not a teacher, guidance counselor, nor school administrator ever uttered the school’s name in my presence. This could probably be justified and explained by the fact that Hawaii was still considered an exotic, isolated locale on the other side of the world in the early to mid-1960’s. It achieved statehood in 1959 but to working class individuals in the New York City area, it wasn’t an event that actually touched their lives. Certainly the fellows I hung out with were far from a sophisticated or worldly group but over the course of a number of years, one might have believed that other than our geography lesson on the newest state in the Union, we would have had a minimal awareness that Hawaii actually existed. Even in 1959 World War II was still a fresh and talked about experience among many of the adults but with R & R taken primarily in the Philippines by the group of men that had service experience, Hawaii was very much of an unknown.