When John Corbett oversaw the construction of Half Acre Gym in 1925, he was able to lay the foundation for what would become a defining feature of the University of Wyoming's identity. Game days in Laramie, as well as athletic achievement, have always served as a source of civic pride and an anchor of unity in Laramie. Because of this, for generations, there have been collective memories formed that have created a special bond in the community that holds people together as one.
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This website is a creation and exploration of these vital connections between Laramie’s enduring pride in athletic grandeur, and John Corbett's foundational role in shaping it. Without his functional roles of vision and leadership, the public memories associated with the University of Wyoming's athletics would not hold the same cultural significance that they carry today. 
 
The John Corbett building itself stands as a monument to this athletic legacy at UW. However, with the construction of newer facilities like the new UW Aquatic Center on campus, and renovations to existing physical spaces like War Memorial Stadium, the focus of public memory surrounding UW’s athletic achievements has gradually shifted away from Corbett's original physical and temporal structure. This shift and subsequent developments in public memory in Laramie reflect how physical spaces shape what and how communities remember, as well as what they forget.