HemisFair '68 History and Resources

History of HemisFair '68

When HemisFair '68 opened on April 6, 1968 it held the honor of being the only "world's fair" that year to be sanctioned by the Paris-based Bureau of International Expositions, and the first world's fair ever to be held in Texas.

Vision

Photograph of painting by Warren Hunter of HemisFair site (Folder 333:11), San Antonio Fair, Inc., Records, 1962-1995, MS 31, Archives and Special Collections, UTSA Library.

In 1958, a handful of San Antonio businessmen had a vision of a world's fair in San Antonio, Texas. Department store executive Jerome K. Harris proposed a fair to be held in 1968 to celebrate 250th anniversary of the founding of San Antonio and the shared cultural heritage of San Antonio and its Latin American neighbors. His idea gained the support of San Antonio Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, and local businessmen William R. Sinkin, H. B. (Pat) Zachry, and James Gaines who soon began to cultivate support for "HemisFair '68."

Organization

Letters, dated October 23, 1962 (top) and September 3, 1963 (bottom), showing transformation of planning committee's name and letterhead (Folder 5:7), San Antonio Fair, Inc., Records, 1962-1995, MS 31, Archives and Special Collections, UTSA Library.

The organizing of the fair demanded years of planning, coordinated investment, the support of all levels of city, state, and federal government, and massive time and commitment from the persons involved. In December of 1962, the San Antonio Fair, Inc. incorporated to formally begin planning, lobbying, fundraising and designing HemisFair '68.

Before incorporating as San Antonio Fair, Inc., the planners worked as the "Fair of the Americas Planning Committee." The images to the left show the transformation of both the letterhead and the positions held by the planners (click for images of full letters).

Theme

In keeping with Jerome K. Harris' original idea of celebrating the shared cultural heritage of San Antonio and its neighbors, the theme of HemisFair '68 was "The Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas."

Logo in four steps, UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures Records, 1965-2006, Archives and Special Collections, UTSA Library.

Dates

The fair was open for six months from April 6, 1968 to October 6, 1968.

Finances

Image: "HemisFair Means Money for Texas," San Antonio Express and News, 6 February 1965 (Folder 340:8), San Antonio Fair, Inc., Records, 1962-1995, MS 31, Archives and Special Collections, UTSA Library.

The fair was supported by:

450 San Antonio underwriters (local business firms and individuals)
voter-approved San Antonio City bonds
Urban Renewal Agency funds
an appropriation of $4,500,000 by the Texas State Legislature
two appropriations ($125,000 in 1965 and $6.75 million in 1966) by the U.S. Congress

Participants

Many governments and corporations sponsored pavilions that contributed to providing an educational and entertaining environment for visitors to the fair.

Cultural pavilions were sponsored by the governments of 21 different countries:	Belgium Bolivia Canada China Costa Rica El Salvador France West Germany Guatemala Honduras Italy	Japan Korea Mexico Nicaragua Panama Portugal Spain Switzerland Thailand United States of America
Industrial pavilions were sponsored by corporations such as:	Bell Systems Coca-Cola Eastman-Kodak Falstaff Brewing Ford Motor Co.	Frito-Lay/Pepsico General Electric General Motors Humble Oil and Refining Co. Pearl Brewing Co.

Attendance

Figures for attendance fell short of the initial predictions of 7.2 million persons, and were actually closer to 6.4 million people. Contributing factors which may have influenced the lower than expected attendance included the assassination of Martin Luther King two days before HemisFair '68 opened; racial unrest and riots throughout the U.S. that summer; the assassination in June 1968 of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy; and political turmoil surrounding the war in Vietnam and the Democratic National Convention.

Impact

HemisFair '68 literally changed the urban landscape of San Antonio and lay the ground work for future economic and civic partnerships in the City. The energy and resources that went into constructing and hosting HemisFair '68 fueled dramatic urban renewal in the downtown area, development along the River Walk, and expansion of the tourism industry in San Antonio.

More Resources

History of the Tower of the Americas
Timeline of events leading up to HemisFair (scroll to Chronology of Events, 1964-1968)
Resources Main Page

History compiled by Kathy McCabe and Jill Jackson of the UTSA Libraries Special Collections and Archives Department, 1998. Updated by Angela McClendon, Manuscripts Archivist, April 2008.

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