American West Program at Colorado State University Asks How Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp Earned All that Fame

While fame and fortune eludes many people, some frontier outlaws didn’t have problems cashing in on their notoriety.

Find out on July 10 how scurrilous scofflaws and scoundrels became famous during the American West Program’s presentation of "Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp: What Did They Actually Do to Deserve Their Fame?" by Bob Boze Bell from Cave Creek, Ariz. The talk begins at 7:30 p.m. in Room C146 Plant Sciences Building on the Colorado State University campus.

Bell grew up in Kingman, Ariz., and has twice been on the cover of "Arizona Highways." He has published three books about the West: "The Illustrated Life and Times of Wyatt Earp," "Billy the Kid" and "Doc Holliday."

Although Bell said he has "yet to make a living as an artist," his artwork hangs in the Suzanne Brown Gallery in Scottsdale, Ariz. The 24th American West Program continues through July 31, highlighted this year with an appearance by Belle Starr, the "Bandit Queen" of the West, as portrayed by performance artist VanAnn Moore.

Following is a schedule of events for the series. All talks begin at 7:30 p.m. in Room C146 Plant Sciences Building except for the July 24 program, which takes place in the Lory Student Center Theatre. All events are free and open to the public.

This year’s American West Program is supported by the Office of the Academic Vice President/Provost and by the Lilla B. Morgan Memorial Fund.

For more information, call Harry Rosenberg, history professor and coordinator of the American West series, at 491-5230.

  • July 10 – "Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp: What Did They Actually Do to Deserve Their Fame?" Bob Boze Bell, Cave Creek, Ariz.
  • July 17 – "An Ear in His Pocket – The Life of Jack Slade," Kenneth Jessen, Loveland, Colo.
  • July 24 – "Belle Starr, the Lady Bandit," VanAnn Moore, Belen, N.M., accompanied by Mark Zwillig, Denver. The performance takes place in the Lory Student Center Theatre.
  • July 31 – "No God West of Fort Smith: The Outlaws of the Indian Territory," Garrick Bailey, Department of Anthropology, University of Tulsa, Okla.