Construction of Butler Universitys athletic plant

Description:	Construction work underway for Butler Universitys athletic plant. The Butler Fieldhouse (later renamed Hinkle Fieldhouse) and the Butler Bowl (later renamed the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl) were constructed on this land, which contained gravel that was used in the construction projects on the Fairview campus. Construction on the athletic complex started in 1927 while the University was still located in Irvington. William C. Smith (Class of 1884), owner of the Marion Country Construction Company, was responsible for building the two structures. In the spring of 1927, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) offered Butler University the opportunity to host the boys basketball tournament in March 1928, if the University could provide a fieldhouse with room for 13,000 spectators. As part of the agreement, IHSAA would pay to rent the facility, while the University would provide lights, heat, janitorial services, and dressing rooms for the tournament. As originally presented, the agreement would last for ten years, with an option for renewal, and the University would retain any profits from concession sales. In order to capitalize on the agreement, 41 men, many of them members of the Universitys Board of Directors, founded a corporation called the Butler University School of Physical Education and Athletics, which sold stock in order to finance the construction of the Butler Fieldhouse and the Butler Bowl. When the Fieldhouse first opened, it had seating for 15,000 fans and the Butler Bowl had seating for approximately 35,000 people. Except for a few years during World War II, the agreement between Butler University and IHSAA continued through 1971. The first Butler basketball game played inside Butler Fieldhouse was on March 7, 1928, and the first football game was played in the Butler Bowl on October 13, 1928.
Origin:	1927
Source:	http://palni.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/BldgsGrnds/id/1007
Collection:	Butler University Buildings and Grounds Collection
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
Copyright:	In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Geography:	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 39.843833, -86.166254 39.843833 -86.166254
Subjects:	Construction projects Construction workers Draft animals Steam shovels Butler University--Alumni and alumnae Butler University--Buildings College buildings Sports facilities Field houses Gymnasiums Basketball arenas Football stadiums Indiana High School Athletic Association Butler University--History Indianapolis (Ind.)--History People Hinkle Fieldhouse Butler Fieldhouse Butler Bowl Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl Marion County Construction Company Butler University School of Physical Education and Athletics IHSAA Fairview campus

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