* This event takes place in person at Mesa Public Library.
Don Perkins was one of the most honored athletes in the history of the Dallas Cowboys and had been a Lobo All American football player at UNM. His life was complex, and at times, controversial. He experienced the traumas of racial discrimination, death, divorce, football-related injuries, and a never-ending search for his own identity. He ventured into sportscasting, public speaking, community relations, big-rig trucking, government work—and even amateur theater where he portrayed Frederick Douglass and other famous Black leaders. Through it all, he remained a kind, unassuming, charismatic man, universally admired by family members, friends, and millions of fans. Don Perkins passed away in 2022.
Dr. Richard Melzer gives Don Perkins the final tribute he so greatly deserves in this biography published this year by UNM Press. Dr. Melzer holds a PhD in history from the University of New Mexico and taught history at UNM’s Valencia Campus until 2019. He is a past two-term president of the Historical Society of New Mexico and author, co-author, or editor of over 100 articles 30 books about New Mexico history. Ten of his books have won major book awards.
Learn more about the book: https://www.unmpress.com/9780826364975/don-perkins/
Register here: https://laconm.libcal.com/event/10587802