Stadium has long, many-faceted history
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By EUGENE TESSON
The first football games played at KU were played in Central Park, on Massachusetts Street. There were no bleachers or stands, so the spectators stood right on the sidelines to watch the action.
One spectator, Col. John McCook, realized the need for a more organized and regulated location to hold the games. He donated $2,500.00, and Gov. Charles Robinson donated a part of his cow pasture, which was to be used for a football field and stands.
There was the constant danger that spectators might be injured, and the constant irritation of spectators in back who had to look over everyone in front to see what was happening.
The field, named McCook Field, was established in 1892, in the general area of the present stadium. The first game was played on Oct. 27, 1892. KU beat the University of Illinois 26-4.
A MILLION DOLLAR Drive was launched Nov. 18, 1920, to construct memorials to those KU men who lost their lives in World War I. A football stadium and a student union were chosen as memorials.
By Nov. 21, 1920, $200,000 was pledged by faculty and students. At renewed intervals since that time, gifts approaching the amount originally set have been pledged. Friends, alumni, and students of the University continue to express their confidence in a recent demonstration by enabling the University to add the new east section.
On Oct. 29, 1921, the first two sections on the east side were completed. Five thousand one hundred sixty people watched KU beat K-State 21-7.
On Stadium Day, May 10. 1929,
4000 students and faculty tore down the old McCook Field stands and inaugurated the building of Memorial Stadium.
Daily Kansan Friday, November 4, 1966
A total of six sections was put in use for the KU-Missouri game,
seating 15,480 people on Nov. 24, 1921. The score of that game was KU 15, MU 9.
On Nov.11, 1922, a formal dedication of the partially completed stadium was held before the KU-Nebraska game, which Nebraska won, 28-0.
TWO ADDITIONAL sections were opened to bring the seating capacity to 20,640 on Oct. 3, 1925. KU beat Oklahoma A&M 13-3.
The north section, known as the "Horseshoe," was opened on Oct. 8,1927,bringing the seating capacity to 35,000. On that day Wisconsin beat KU,26-6.
total capacity of 51,500 people. Texas Tech defeated KU that day, 23-7.
The upper west section was first used on Sept. 28, 1963, giving the stadium a capacity of 45,000. The newest addition, the upper east section, was opened Sept. 17, 1966. This gives the stadium a
The original dedication was made to the memory of those KU men who made the supreme sacrifice during World War I. Memorial Stadium stands today as a shrine where their memories will be shared by the students who have come and have yet to come, to KU.
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