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Sunday, March' 10, 1940
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THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
Memorial association closes
books for stadium account
The Nebraska Memorial associa
tion, the group that built and paid
for the Htadlum, closed its books
Thursday night. The group which
was Incorporated by law March 9,
1923, to build the state's memorial
to Its war dead, has been disHolvcd.
It was at a meeting In the office
of the alumni secretary that a
resolution was Hlgncd dissolving
the never-to-be-forgotten associa
tion, and steps were taken to can
cel the $55,000 in notes held by the
association against the Nebraska
Athletic Board of Control. This
was the sum the athletic board
owed the association for the com
pletion of the stadium.
Significance of the proceedings
Is apparent to every loyal Corn
husker and especially to those over
the country today who had a part
in the building program of the
stadium. For this was the small
incorporated group which alone
was largely responsible for giving
to the institution more than a mil
lion dollars in equipment, buildings
and improvements.
Brings new field house
With construction of a field
house at the north end of the stad
ium under way the memorial as
sociation felt that the athletic
board had more than fulfilled its
committments to the finishing of
the ends of the bowl and that It
should therefore be relieved of all
further financial obligations to the
association.
As Vincent "Stub" Hascall of
Omaha, president of the alumni as
sociation who presided over the
meeting declared, "The time has
come for the alumni association to
get out of the stadium business."
Out of stadium business
The idea was unanimous, and
the meeting of the memorial asso
ciation, the athletic board and
other interested parties was held
in the alumni office. At that time,
Hascall pointed out that the asso
ciation had long ago performed its
service and should therefore dis
solve itself from all further re
sponsibilities. At the culminating conference
Thursday night, Hascall submitted
a resolution drawn by Dean II. II.
Foster of the Law college dissolv
ing the association, and with a
second by Max Meyer of Lincoln,
and a unanimous vote of approval,
officers of the Nebraska Memorial
association wrote "finis" to its
career, and the word "cancelled"
was written across the face of
the remaining athletic department
notes. These bear the signatures
of Hascall and E. F. DuTeau,
alumni secretary, certifying and
attesting to the cancellation.
The success story
Those whose names will go on
the record of this memorable meet
ing are: Vincent Hascall, Secre
tary DuTeau, Max Meyer, Judge
W. W. Wilson and Harold Holm
qirist. The dream, campaign and ulti
mate completion of the stadium is
a success story unparalleled in the
aiuials of the university and the
state. Tho undertaking was devel
oped and carried on by Nebras
kans in typical Nebraska fashion.
No indebtedness was left to linger
on the records. Like the capitol,
the stadium was paid for -before
it was built, so to speak.
Been attempted once
Although an earlier attempt to
build a stadium and a gymnasium
had failed because of unfavorable
economic years, the campaign for
the present concrete stands, which
got under way the summer of
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1922, was a success from Btart to
finish.
Many share in its success, but
today, Harold F. Holtz, who was
secretary of the alumni associa
tion from 1921 to 1929, is recog
nized hh the man most responsible
for its consummation. It was Holtz
who was placed in charge of the
campaign and who successfully
guided the subscription program
to Its completion a job which
was done in less than the allotted
time,
And the money?
So that construction might get
under way Immediately, the me
morial association was incorpo
rated and a bond Issue floated
amounting to $300,000. These
bonds were to be liquidated by
subscriptions from students, fac
ulty, alumni and friends of the
Institution which according to rec
ords were apportioned as follows:
students, $106,995.50; medical col
lege students at Omaha, $5,465;
faculty, $23,557.75; Lincoln, $176,
441.76; Omaha, $35,251.50; Lan
caster county, $00,416.68; out of
state, $23,472.
As further security to the bonds,
a clause in the agreement provided
that the athletic board should pay
to the association $20,000 a year
to cover interest during the life
of the bonds, and the cost of col
lecting the pledgea.
Record sale
Although the bond issue was for
five years, zealous and loyal Corn
huskers had the bond debt re
moved in less than the allotted
time. It was another feather in
the hat of the Nebraska public,
for the local stadium campaign
was probably the first major drive
of its kind to "go over the top,"
at least in this short span of time.
Today when Nebraskans note the
struggles of other institutions to
pay their stadium debts, the work
of that small band of campaigners
becomes the more appreciated.
Just about complete
Originally, it was decided to en
close the two ends of the great
stands with a colonnade. Later,
however, desiring to give the ath
letic department as many seats as
possible, it was agreed to spend
all the money for the enlargement
of the stands. Now with addition
of the new field house at the north
end of the structure, it is consid
ered architecturally complete by
both the memorial association and
other interested groups.
Although Holtz. and his cam
paign assistant, M. I. Potcet, did
the actual job of organizing the
undertaking, their efforts would
have been futile without the help
and Inspirational support extended
by students, alumni and friends.
'Those on work roll
Well remembered is the work
of Judge E. B. Perry of Lincoln,
who was president of the associ
ation at the time, and who was
called upon to draw up the ar
ticles of incorporation. His assist
ing officers, who went to make
up the committee in charge con
tributed a good deal of time and
effort to the completion of the
articles. All were members of the
executive committee at large.
W. L. Bates of Kimball, then a
regent, was named chairman of
the building committee. Others
serving were Ellery Davis, Clyde
Dempster, and Arthur Dobson,
who later became chairman of the
committee. Robert H. Manley of
Omaha donated his services as
publicity chairman and edited a
well remembered booklet entitled,
New Field House will
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Jotirnnl it ml Star.
VINCENT HASCALL
"We Will Build the Nebraska Sta
dium in 1923."
Worst playing field
"There never was a team that
wore the . Nebraska uniform that
was not worthy of its alma mater,
but in all those years there never
was a Nebraska field that was
worthy of its team," wrote Man
ley In his plea to Nebraska fol
lowers. "Nebraska today has the
pround distincition of the greatest
football team and the poorest
field of any college of standing in
this entire section. Will this af
fect the schedule for 1923, and
later years? Will this make it
easy to arrange games with teams
of the Big Ten? You as alumni
are not responsible for the team,
but you are responsible for the
field.'"
On the purse strings
Then there was R. E. Campbell,
who accepted the job of finance
Journal nnrt Star.
ELLSWORTH DU TEAU
chairman, and his assistants, all
of whom did much to crystallize
the campaign in general.
John Selleck, business manager
of the athletic department, looks
back with considerable pride in
the success of the undertaking.
Although claiming no credit for
his part in the job, he and the
other members of the athletic
staff feel more than gratified with
the $500,000 gift which was pre
sented to them.
Manley's plan for more ade
quate facilities helped materially
in mobilizing sentiment in favor
of the new stadium, says Selleck,
who came into office in 1921, just
as the campaigning was begin
ning, worked tirelessly toward the
end.
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Too big! Financi'aly speaking . . .
Many will remember that the Financially speaking the sta
only question on which there was dium has been a money maker for
complete stadium building program
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Journal nnrl Star.
HAROLD F. HOLTZ
not unanimity of agreement was
the size of the stadium. When the
final plans were adopted various
groups felt that the memorial as
sociation had shown poor judg
ment and was foolishly building
beyond its most urgent needs.
But, as Selleck points' out, there
was some reason for those pro
tests. The old wooden stands
seated but 6,000. The proposed
structure would accommodate
30,000, providing five times the
seating capacity. It was little
wonder then that even some of
the most ardent followers looked
askance at the building commit
tee's recommendations. They
pointed out that only once in the
history of the old wooden stadium
had the seating capacity been
taxed to the limit, and this was
for the last game ever played on
the east-west field the thriller of
Notre Dame.
Notre Dame victory
Both Holtz and Selleck admit
today that this surprise victory
over the famous four horsemen
and the unexpected triumph over
Pittsburgh earlier in the season
supplied the current which sparked
the stadium drive to its rapid con
clusion. After these victories
against the two top ranking teams
of the nation, Nebraska fans were
willing to go the limit in provid
ing players with a stadium and
field the equal of any in the coun
try. Before this psychological
stimulus had died down, Holtz and
his campaigners had pushed the
solicitation program over the goal.
Contract signed
The contract for building the
stadium was signed in 1922 by
Judge Perry as president of the
memorial association; Holtz as
secretary; L. Bates as chairman
of the building committee; and by
the officers of the Farsons Con
struction company. Within a year
it was finished.
Dedication of the stadium took
place when the university enter
tained the Kansas Jayhawks. Pre
ceding the game there was a short
service participated in by students,
alumni, and representatives of the
building association.
Today, almost two decades after
its completion, the $500,000 invest
ment which is represented in the
stadium, stands as testimony to
the courage and faith of loyal fans
and alumni. Without the stadium
Nebraska athletics might still be
in the pioneering stage. Intra
mural activities would be limited;
adequate facilities for the promo
tion of student health would be
lacking; and the Important service
program being carried on by
'"Biff" Jones and his staff, would
be impossible.
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THEY SAY...
President - Hascall "I am
glad that this action has been
consummated. We have been
working toward this end for
two years, and today we have
returned the stadium to its
proper owners, the Athletic
Board of Control."
Secretary DuTeau "It has
been a long process and I, too,
am glad the books are closed
on the memorial association.
Whatever credit the Alumni as
sociation deserves for the whole
thing may be problematical but
Harold Holtz spent years of his
secretaryship on the stadium
campaign, and certainly the
Alumni association was re
garded as the solicitor, much
to the disadvantages of its own
membership promotion. We
have the stadium, the books on
how it came about are closed,
and today the final chapter in
its history has been written."
Harold F. Holtz "To have
shared In this enterprise and
to realize now what this first
big undertaking has made pos
sible Is a satisfying memory."
the athletic department. Mr. Sel
leck admits that it has been re
sponsible for three-quarters of a
million dollars of athletic plant
developments these last few years.
Revenue from increased attend
ance at bigger and better football
games has enabled the department
to puild and pay for the new
$500,000 Coliseum, the much
needed intramural fields at the
north of the campus; and to be
gin construction of another uni
versity dream, a Field House.
The Field House
To cost approximately a quar
ter of a million dollars, this mw
building will provide an Indoor
practice field, locker and shower
facilities, training quarters, and
additional rooms for athletic pro
grams. As for the stadium proper, few
individuals realize that it is one
of the most widely used buildings
on the campus. The west stands
house most of the university's ma
jor plants while such sundry
things as runnin? tracks, huge
storerooms and offices are found
in the cavern-like depths of the
east side.
But most of all, the stadium,
more than any other project, has
made possible the development of
Nebraska athletics on a scale only
dreamed of in years back. With its
ability to accommodate more than
40,000 spectators, the stadium has
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Journal and Slr.
SELLECK
JOHN K
enabled the management to effect
much desired relationships with
the major Institutions of the coun
try. The earlier predictions of a
few stout-hearted boosters have
become a reality. Today, the sta
dium is an accepted institution.
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