OK ladies and gentlemen of Hockey-L......
 
Liberated from the oppression of college exams, I am free to commence
pursuit of the first of my summer projects.  As I noted a few weeks ago,
I am preparing to write a history of hockey at BGSU.  While the media
guides and programs have brief overviews of past achievements, and the
official histories of the University mention certain dates, there has not
been a serious effort to chronicle the development of the sport at BGSU.
Nobody has ever posed and answered the question of "why" hockey developed
at BGSU.  Aside from brief articles in the local papers, no single source
exists that would tell anybody what the early days of hockey were like,
where BG traditions came from, and who were the people responsible for them.
 
In another twenty years all that will remain to document the programs
history are dates and notes in the media guides, and the occasional
article in the local papers.  Add to this a tenuous oral history passed
on from fan to fan in the stands.  None of which (to my satisfaction
anyway) will really capture the essence of the program.  None of which
will convey to future students and fans how hard people worked to make
hockey at BGSU what it is today, and what it will become in the years to
come.
 
With that thought in mind, I am setting about creating this history.  I
have determined what potential sources of material exist, and from that,
what kind of history can be created.  Fortunately nearly all the people
involved with the development of hockey at BGSU are alive, and either
still associated with the University, or are accessible.
 
In a round and about way, this brings me to Hockey-L.  I intend to
liberally season the history with anecdotes and comments from a wide
range of people.  These people include former players, coaches,
University administrators, fans, opposing coaches, opposing fans, members
of the community, and others who have participated, or observed BGSU
hockey over the decades.  Many of the people on Hockey-L fit one of the
above descriptions.  As such you may be able to lend insight, comments,
or stories that are not available to me otherwise.
 
I will be soliciting specific information over the course of the next
seven months as the history takes shape.  However if you have any
comments, advice, stories, or have seen a memorable (or just plain
interesting) moment in BGSU hockey history, I would be grateful for your
insight or recollections.  If you have met or previously been associated
with people involved with BGSU hockey, and would like to share stories or
impressions of them, I would be appreciative.  It does not matter what
school your affiliated with, or what in what capacity you serve in (hot
dog venders, fans, coaches, media, officiating, former or current player)
I would be interested in hearing from you.  I plan on acknowledging those
that contribute to the history, though if you wish to not be named, that
is fine as well.  If you are aware of any other program for which a
history has been written, I would be interested in knowing about it as well.
 
Feel free to contact me through any of the following means.
 
email
[log in to unmask]
 
Phone (my Undergraduate Alumni Association office)
419-372-6849
 
Snail mail
 
Nathan W.L. Boyle
223 South Grove Street
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
 
If all goes well, I hope to have the project wrapped up in December of
1996.  If/when successful, I hope to conglomerate all the material into a
CD-ROM format.  I should have the equipment by the end of 96. (but that
is another hobby)
 
I am as always
 
Nathan W.L. Boyle
BGSU
 
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