FLC Center for Southwest Studies

Starting in 1956, Fort Lewis College underwent a period of growth, moving from its original campus in Hesperus Colorado to Durango and transitioning in 1964 from a two-year institution into a four-year public liberal arts college. That same year, Durango Herald publisher and owner Morley Ballantine and her husband Arthur, donated $10,000 to begin what they envisioned as a center of academic distinction and a repository for artifacts, resource materials, books, and documents for studying the Southwest. The Center of Southwest Studies has played a crucial role in supporting Fort Lewis College’s academic mission for over 50 years.