Patten Gymnasium

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Patten Gymnasium
Location 2407 Sheridan Rd
Evanston, IL 60208
Opened 1940
Owner Northwestern University
Operator Northwestern University Department of Athletics and Recreation
Tenants Northwestern Wildcats
(Women's Fencing)
Capacity

Patten Gymnasium is a multi-purpose gymnasium in Evanston, Illinois. The original building opened in 1910 and was home to the Northwestern University Wildcats basketball team until 1940, when it was demolished and rebuilt farther north to make room for the construction of the Technological Institute. It was used for twelve years before Welsh-Ryan Arena opened in 1952. The current, ivy-lined building has the original doors and statues from the old gym. It currently is the home to the women's fencing team. Patten is the home to the Intramural Sports program. It has offices and/or locker rooms for the women's lacrosse, field hockey, and men's/women's soccer teams. It is named for James A. Patten, former Evanston mayor, philanthropist, commodities broker, and NU board of trustees president.

In 1999, the swimming pool area, which had been unused since 1987, was renovated and transformed into the Gleacher Golf Center. At the time that it opened, the Gleacher Center was the only facility of its kind in collegiate golf, featuring a 2,000 square foot pitching and putting green with an adjacent sand trap.

The original, 1,000 seat arena hosted the first NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game in 1939.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
first arena
NCAA Men's Division I
Basketball Tournament
Finals Venue

1939
Succeeded by
Municipal Auditorium
This article about a sports venue in Illinois is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.