Jose, Colin

One of the most respected historians of soccer in North America, Colin Jose was the official historian at the National Soccer Hall of Fame from 1997-2007 and subsequently at The Soccer Hall of Fame in Vaughan, Ontario. Born in England and a resident of London, Ontario, Jose has been a scrupulous researcher in the sport’s history for over four decades, doing research in an area in which documentation is often sparse. His nine books include The Encyclopedia of American Soccer History (written with Roger Allaway and David Litterer), two books on the North American Soccer League, and works on the early American Soccer League, soccer in Canada, and the history of the U.S. in the World Cup. The US Soccer Federation gives out an annual media award named in Jose’s honor.

The Jose collection contains a wealth of material documenting the history of North American soccer from the early 20th century to the present. The heart of the collection consists of an extensive series of books, magazines, and newspapers on the sport, including fine runs of Soccer News from the 1950s and photocopies of the ASL News (1930s-1960s). The collection also includes correspondence and promotional materials from the Soccer Hall of Fame, a variety of league and team media guides, game programs from various leagues (NASL, International Soccer League, 1960s-1990s), press releases from various teams (particularly from the Washington Darts in the 1960s-1970s), biographical files on players and coaches from the 1920s-1950s (approx 50 files), and research files on soccer in the Olympics, World Cup, USSF, ASL, and NASL. Most of the material from prior to 1960 is supplied in photocopy.