Francis Field
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| Francis Field | |
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| Location | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Broke ground | 1903 |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Owner | Washington University |
| Operator | Washington Univesrity |
| Surface | Grass |
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Francis Field is a stadium at Washington University in St. Louis, currently used by the University's track and field, Washington University in St. Louis football, lacrosse, and soccer teams. It is located in Clayton, Missouri on the far western edge of the University's Danforth Campus. It was built in time for the 1904 World's Fair, and was used as the main stadium for the 1904 Summer Olympics. At its height, the stadium had a 19,000 person seating capacity, but 1984 stadium renovations reduced the capacity to 4,000 persons. It is one of the oldest sports venues west of the Mississippi River still in use. While its history dates back, the field is not out date. Francis field, instead of grass, uses the artificial Field Turf which can display both socer and football lines on it.
The 1904 Summer Olympics (the first to be held in the Western Hemisphere) were given to St. Louis as a result of the efforts of David Rowland Francis, for whom the stadium and accompanying gymnasium are named. Built in 1902, Francis Field's permanent stands represent one of the first applications of reinforced concrete technology.[1] Both Francis Field and its gymnasium are U.S. National Historic Landmarks.
Following the 1904 Olympics, Francis Field became the permanent home of the Bears, who were formerly known as the Pikers. From the 1920s through the 1950s, the Bears played before crowds of as many as 19,000 people, competing against universities such as Notre Dame, University of Nebraska, and Boston College, with half of the spectators in temporary wooden stands.
In July of 1994, Francis Field served as a centerpiece for the U.S. Olympic Festival as 3,000 athletes were housed on the campus for the country's top amateur sporting events.
[edit] Notable events
The Francis Gymnasium was the site of three U.S Presidential debates in 1992, 2000, and 2004.[2]
In 1994, the Francis Field was again an Olympic focal point, as 3,000 athletes were housed on the Danforth Campus for the U.S. Olympic Festival.
During both the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Torch relays, the Olympic Flame passed by Francis Field on its way to the site of the Olympic Games.[3]
Francis Field hosted the 1986 AAU/USA National Junior Olympic Games, the first and second National Senior Olympic Games, and the 1985 NCAA Division III National Men's Soccer Championship.
The stadium was used by the St. Louis Stars soccer team during 1969-1970, and again in 1975-1977, before their 1978 move to Anaheim, California, as they became the California Surf.
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://debate.wustl.edu:16080/2000/athletic.html
- ^ http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/527.html
- ^ http://www.wustl.edu/tour/danforth/francis-field.html
| Summer Olympic stadia |
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| Athens, 1896 • Paris, 1900 • St Louis, 1904 • London, 1908 • Stockholm, 1912 • Berlin, 1916 • Antwerp, 1920 • Paris, 1924 • Amsterdam, 1928 • Los Angeles, 1932 • Berlin, 1936 • Helsinki, 1940 • London, 1944 • London, 1948 • Helsinki, 1952 • Melbourne, 1956 • Rome, 1960 • Tokyo, 1964 • México City, 1968 • Munich, 1972 • Montréal, 1976 • Moscow, 1980 • Los Angeles, 1984 • Seoul, 1988 • Barcelona, 1992 • Atlanta, 1996 • Sydney, 2000 • Athens, 2004 • Beijing, 2008 • London, 2012 |
