Guide to the Anchorage Organizing Committee Olympics records
1976-1998
Collection number: HMC-1002.
Creator: Anchorage Organizing Committee.
Title: Anchorage Olympic Organizing Committee Olympics records.
Dates: 1976-1998, bulk 1984-1990.
Volume of collection: 38.4 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Records of Anchorage’s bids to host the Winter Olympics in 1992, 1994, and 1998.
Organizational history:
Anchorage Organizing Committee (AOC) was founded in 1984 by Rick Mystrom, then the owner of Mystrom/Beck Advertising who also served as Anchorage assemblyman (1979-1985) and mayor of Anchorage (1994-2000), and Chris von Imhof, manager of Alyeska ski resort. The AOC was dedicated to bringing the Winter Olympics to Anchorage, and Rick Mystrom served as the committee’s chairman. In 1985, the AOC presented a winning bid for the 1992 Winter Olympics to the U.S. Olympic Committee, but the International Olympic Committee ultimately awarded the host site to Albertville, France in 1986. Anchorage was again selected as a contender for the 1994 Winter Olympics but lost out to Lillehammer, Norway. The Anchorage Olympic Organizing Committee later also explored the option of submitting a bid for Anchorage for the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Collection description:
The collection contains the records of the Anchorage Organizing Committee’s bids for Anchorage to be the host site of the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Winter Olympics, including reports, correspondence, reference files, videos, audiotapes, photographs, artwork, publications, and other committee records. The collection also contains Rick Mystrom’s and Rick Nerland’s personal records from their service on the committee. There are also artifacts, which consist of two stuffed-animals and multiple pins from various Olympic sites, as well as Olympic clothing samples.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in the order in which it was received by the Archives. Boxes 1-29 are material donated to the Archives by Rick Mystrom and boxes 30-33 were donated to the Archives by Rick Nerland.
Digitized copies: Digital copies of collection material not available online. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives owns copyright to all material in the collection created or published by the Anchorage Organizing Committee.
Preferred citation: Anchorage Organizing Committee Olympics bids records, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: The collection was given to the Archives by Rick Mystrom in 2011. An addition was made by Rick Nerland in 2012.
Processing information: This collection was described by Megan K. Friedel in 2011. The collection was further described and new material added by Veronica Denison in 2013. The collection was consolidated and publications removed in 2023, and the finding aid was updated to reflect these changes by Gwen Higgins in 2024.
Container list:
| Box | Description | Date |
| 1 | Reports, research materials, promotional materials, and photographs | 1985-1988 |
| 2 | Photographs, reports, AOC volunteer handbook, presentations, correspondence | 1985-1989 |
| 3-5 | Video recordings (VHS, U-Matic, and 1” video) | 1984-1989 |
| 6 | Photograph album, candidate city questionnaire, slides and presentations | 1988-1989 |
| 7 | AOC board of directors documents, 1988 Winter Olympics hosting manual, photographs | 1986-1988 |
| 8 | Speeches, International Olympic Committee activities, correspondence | 1988-1990 |
| 9 | Reports, photographs, and slides | 1976-1988 |
| 10 | Photographs | 1986-1989 |
| 11 | Promotional material, memos, photographs, IOC information, administrative documents | 1985-1989 |
| 12 | Reports, slideshows, and photographs | 1981-1988 |
| 13-18 | Anchorage Organizing Committee administrative files | 1984-1988 |
| 19 | Administrative files, reports, photographs | 1985-1987 |
| 20 | “Anchorage 1992: A New Place for the Olympic Movement” video recording (1” video tape), photograph album from 5th ANOC General Assembly in Seoul, Brisbane 1992 Summer Olympic Games Media book | 1984-1986 |
| 21 | “Anchorage, 1992, Book 1” and “Anchorage, 1992, Book 2” scrapbooks | 1985 April-1986 March |
| 22 | “Anchorage, 1992, Book 4” and “Alaska except Anchorage, 1992, Book 1” scrapbooks | 1985 March-1986 November |
| 23 | “International, Book 1, 1992” and “United States, 1992, Book 2” scrapbooks | 1986 April-November |
| 24 | “Alaska/Anchorage, 1994, Book 3” and “Alaska/Anchorage, 1994, Book 5” scrapbooks | 1987 July-1988 April |
| 25 | “Alaska/Anchorage, 1994, Book 7” and untitled scrapbooks | 1988 July-
1989 May |
| 26 | Scrapbooks, “We Support 1994 Olympics” signs, and “Innua & Torngak” 1998 mascot proposal book | 1989, undated |
| 27 | Loose scrapbook pages of newspaper clippings | 1986 April-1989 April |
| 28 | Loose scrapbook pages of newspaper clippings, framed photo of Rick Mystrom in Lausanne, Switzerland (1986 February 14), original artwork for Anchorage Olympics proposals, and signed posters from the Anchorage Organizing Committee to supporters | circa 1986-1988 |
| 29 | Original artwork, plans, and other papers of proposed Olympic venues for presentation by the Austin Company | 1985 June |
| 30 | Anchorage Organizing Committee publications, publications from other Olympic Games | 1984-1998 |
| 31 | USOC Bid City Seminar binder, public opinion survey, Reno-Tahoe Winter Games bid binder, scrapbook, Alyeska Ski Resort master plan | 1986-1988 |
| 32 | Plaques, memorabilia, and 16mm film reel | 1988-1992 |
| 33 | Olympic clothing samples | 1988-1992 |
| 34 | Slides, photographs, speech drafts, Anchorage 1994 bid books, VHS tapes, and audiocassettes | circa 1981-1988 |
| Oversize folder 1-2 | Original artwork of proposed Olympic venues for presentation by the Austin Company | 1985 June |