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Interior of empty basketball arena in Cuba with a sign reading 'El deporte es un derecho del pueblo - Fidel' (Sport is a right of the people - Fidel [Castro])

Men's basketball players from SDSU and Cuban national team hold national flags in SDSU basketball stadium in opening ceremony before game

Men's basketball players from SDSU and Cuban national team hold national flags in SDSU basketball stadium in opening ceremony before game

Interior of empty basketball stadium in Cuba with a mural of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

Cars in Old Havana, Cuba

Basketball coach kneels in front of players from South Dakota delegation sitting on the bench in USA team jerseys during basketball game in Cuba

Basketball coaches kneel in front of players from South Dakota delegation sitting on the bench in USA team jerseys during basketball game in Cuba

1977 South Dakota men's basketball delegation to Cuba organized by Senator George McGovern and attended by students athletes from South Dakota State University and South Dakota State University, and Governor James Abourezk. Includes correspondence with McGovern and Martin. Notable documents include a letter of support from Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, press release from McGovern's office, trip itinerary and notes, photographs.

Fountain in a courtyard in Cuba

View of a courtyard in Havana, Cuba

Self portrait of photographer in mirror in courtyard in Cuba

Cuban national team player and USA player in jerseys holding respective national flags in opening ceremony of a game in Cuba

Cuban national team player in jersey holds Cuban flag in opening ceremony of a game with South Dakota delegation

Cuban man and women in formal dress in restaurant in Cuba during a visit by South Dakota basketball delegation

Cuban man and woman in formal dress in restaurant in Cuba during a visit by South Dakota basketball delegation

Cuban national team basketball player speaking with a man

Cuban national team basketball at a buffet line in South Dakota

Dancers performing in Cuba

Dancers performing in Cuba

Dancers performing in Cuba

Dancers performing in Cuba

Dancers performing in Cuba

Dancers performing in Cuba

Dancers performing in Cuba

The Dave Martin Papers document the organization, execution, and impact of the 1977 goodwill basketball trip to Cuba, arranged through the efforts of SDSU Sports Information Director David Martin in collaboration with Senators George McGovern and James Abourezk. The collection spans 1975 to 1977 and contains correspondence, proposals, rosters, press lists, programs, newspaper clippings, and post-trip reports that highlight the extensive planning and political considerations involved.

Photographs and slides provide visual documentation of the South Dakota State University and University of South Dakota basketball players in competition with the Cuban National Basketball Team, as well as images of cultural exchanges, ceremonies, and tours of Havana and other sites. The collection also includes depictions of American and Cuban players dining together, meetings with Cuban dignitaries such as Fidel and Raúl Castro, and the participation of Senators McGovern and Abourezk.

This collection documents a unique Cold War–era sports diplomacy initiative that used basketball as a vehicle for cultural exchange during a period of strained U.S.-Cuba relations. It illustrates the role of South Dakota institutions and leaders in international outreach and highlights the intersection of athletics, politics, and diplomacy. The photographs and correspondence provide rare firsthand evidence of citizen and cultural diplomacy efforts during the 1970s, showcasing the symbolic importance of athletic competition in fostering dialogue across political divides.

El Capitolio, the National Capitol Building in Havana, Cuba

Eleanor McGovern in sunglasses smiling with a man in Cuba

Eleanor McGovern wearing sunglasses in Cuba

Cannons at the Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Caba

George McGovern in Cuba with bottles of Havana Club rum visible in the background

George McGovern speaking into microphones in a crowd Cuba

Painting of San Cristobal in an altar in Havana Cathedral, Cuba

Chandelier hanging in the dome of a Havana Cathedral, Cuba

Interior of rooms with chandeliers in Cuba

Crucifix under a dome in interior of a Havana Cathedral, Cuba

Interior of a Havana Cathedral, Cuba

Photograph from the nave of chandelier in dome, fresco, altar in Havana Cathedral, Cuba

James Abourezk and George McGovern sitting and talking with a man in Cuba

James Abourezk and George McGovern sitting and talking with unidentified man in Cuba

James Abourezk and George McGovern sitting and talking with a man in Cuba

James Abourezk and George McGovern sitting and talking with a man in Cuba

James Abourezk smiling and dining with others in Cuba

James Abourezk talking and dining with others in Cuba

James Abourezk smiling and dining with others in Cuba

James Abourezk talking and dining with others in Cuba

James Abourezk speaking to unidentified woman in Cuba

Photographer taking pictures of James Abourezk speaking with unidentified men seated in a restaurant

James Abourezk and George McGovern speaking with Raul Castro and unidentifed woman in Cuba

James Abourezk and George McGovern flanked by South Dakota basketball coaches in Cuba

Men from South Dakota and Cuba delegations dining

Photographer on street corner in Old Havana, Cuba, posing near motorcycle

Motorcycle police officer speaking to a man in Cuba

People standing on balconies in Old Havana, Cuba

Street scene in Old Havana, Cuba, with cars, men and the sign and shopfront of La Bodeguita del Medio visible

Facade in Old Havana, Cuba

Ornate facade in Old Havana, Cuba

Man speaking with police officers in Cuba

1977 South Dakota men's basketball delegation to Cuba organized by Senator George McGovern and attended by students athletes from South Dakota State University and South Dakota State University, as well as Governor James Abourezk. Includes press correspondence and names of national media representatives on the trip. Also includes Spanish language text of article from the Cuban magazine 'Bohemia.'

Man taking notes and woman interviewing a member of South Dakota delegation in Cuba

Reporters and South Dakota basketball delegation players walking down street in Cuba

Reporters and South Dakota basketball delegation players walking down street in Cuba

Reporter smoking before filming a report near building site in Cuba with other press members nearby

Members of the press preparing video cameras in Cuba

1977 South Dakota men's basketball delegation to Cuba organized by Senator George McGovern and attended by students athletes from South Dakota State University and South Dakota State University, as well as Governor James Abourezk. Includes rosters, programs for games played between Cuban national team and South Dakota delegation team.

Raul Castro in military dress with press members in the background

1977 South Dakota men's basketball delegation to Cuba organized by Senator George McGovern and attended by students athletes from South Dakota State University and South Dakota State University, as well as Governor James Abourezk. Includes rosters for games played between Cuban national team and South Dakota teams.

Crowd at a basketball game between South Dakota delegation and Cuban national team

This collection documents the 1977 South Dakota Delegation trip to Cuba, which included members of the South Dakota State University basketball team. The material primarily captures the media coverage and public reception surrounding the trip. It includes national, state, and unidentified newspaper clippings; press releases; and excerpts from radio broadcasts, many of which report on the delegation’s activities and the political context of the visit. Also included are photographs, rosters of participants, and an audio tape outline titled Cuban Stories, which appears to provide a narrative or interview content related to the trip.

The collection contains correspondence that sheds light on the earliest stages of planning, including references to Fidel Castro and U.S. Senator George McGovern, whose 1975 trip to Cuba helped catalyze this exchange. Though much of the formal planning documentation is missing, the surviving memoranda and letters illustrate efforts to coordinate the trip under challenging diplomatic conditions. Additional items include material from the Cuban newspaper Granma and various internal and external communications concerning the delegation.

The collection is a resource documenting a rare Cold War-era cultural exchange between a U.S. university delegation and Cuba. It offers insight into the role of sports diplomacy, the influence of political figures such as George McGovern, and the broader media and public perception of such initiatives during the late 1970s.

Cuban national team basketball players dining with members of South Dakota basketball delegation to Cuba

South Dakota basketball delegation dining on pineapple in Cuba

South Dakota basketball delegation dining in Cuba

Members of the South Dakota basketball delegation dining in Cuba

South Dakota basketball delegation dining in Cuba

South Dakota basketball delegation drinking beer in an outdoor cafe in Cuba with video cameras in background

South Dakota basketball delegation dining in Cuba

Cuban national team basketball players dining with members of South Dakota basketball delegation to Cuba

South Dakota basketball delegation dining on pineapple in Cuba

Cuban national team basketball players dining with members of South Dakota basketball delegation to Cuba

Cuban national team basketball players dining with members of South Dakota basketball delegation to Cuba