The University of Nevada Press was founded in 1961 by Robert Laxalt, with the support of the University of Nevada Board of Regents and University Administration. The launch of the Press coincided with the approach of the centennial of Nevada’s statehood (1864-1964), and with the acquisition of the Doten collection. The University received inquiries and offers from large New York publishers hoping for a contract to publish the Doten diaries, but opted for a history book based on the diaries as the inaugural publication of the Press for the centennial.