NU Recreation History


 
1900 – 1968
Recreational Sports at Northwestern University began in the early 1900’s and until 1968 was primarily a competitive intramural sports program.  The original program offered a variety of sports and used a point system to determine an overall campus “All Sports” champion.  As early as 1929, the program employed a Director and Assistant Director to administer activities.  In 1911 the Women's Athletic Association (WAA) was founded and helped lead to the way for women to participate in not only intramurals but also intercollegiate competition.
 

1909
"Old" Patten Gymnasium opens and is named after contributor and former mayor of Evanston, James A. Patten. Old Patten was razed in 1940 for the Technological Institute.
 


1940
"New" Patten Gymnasium is dedicated on November 2, 1940
 


1974
Blomquist Recreation Center opens.
 


1980
NU develops an Athletic/Recreation Master Plan for new athletic facilities.  Plan recommends McGaw Hall rehab and construction of the Henry Crown Sport Pavilion/Norris Aquatic Center.
 

1981
Intramural Sports were part of the Physical Education Department until the Fall of 1981.  At that time, Northwestern phased out all curriculum in Physical Education and merged Intramural Sports with the Athletic Department.  The newly created Department of Athletics and Recreation was headed by Doug Single.  During the summer of 1981, Dan Bulfin (Intramural and Club Sport Director), proposed a plan to create a Division of Recreational Sports centralizing administration of the intramural, club sport, former Physical Education elective classes and supervision of Patten and Blomquist Recreation Centers.  Single approved the proposal in the Fall of 1981 and named Bulfin Director of Recreational Sports.
 
 
1982
Planning begins for the Henry Crown Sport Pavilion/Dellora A. and Lester J. Norris Aquatic Center.  A Building Committee was formed to provide design input.  Committee members included Dan Bulfin (Director of Recreational Sports), Patrick Barry (Varsity Swim Coach), Ted Leland (Associate Athletic Director), Garth Miller (Athletic Facilities & Operations Director), George Peterson (NU faculty member), Mark Sattherthwaite (NU faculty member), Gabor Zsolnay (NU architect), and Larry Nobles (NU Vice President of Planning).
 

1984
Recreational Sports assumes administrative oversight of the North Beach from NU Public Safety.
 
Recreational Sports hires full time Sailing Program Manager.
 
Recreational Sports assumes administrative oversight of the Wildcat Summer Camp, a program formerly run by the NU Baseball Coach.
 

1985
Henry Crown Sport Pavilion/Dellora A. and Lester J. Aquatics Center construction begins.
 
 
1986
Recreational Sports hires full time Fitness/Wellness Coordinator
 
Recreational Sports assumes administrative oversight of the Sheridan Road Tennis Courts.  This facility was formerly overseen by the Varsity Tennis Coaches.  Recreational Sports hires a full time Tennis and Club Sports Director.
 

1987
The Henry Crown Sport Pavilion/Dellora A. and Lester J. Aquatic Center opens September 15th for student, faculty/staff and alumni use.
 
Recreational Sports initiates membership fees for faculty/staff and alumni use of the new building.  Faculty object to the new fee and are given free access to Patten and Blomquist Recreation Centers as
a compromise. 
 
A wooden floor is installed at Blomquist Recreation center to replace the former rubberized flooring.
 
Student interest in Intramural Sports activities remains strong.
 
 
1988
American Craft Exposition moved from Welsh Ryan to the Henry Crown Sport Pavilion.
 
Recreational Sports hires full time Aquatics Director to manage pool, beach and sailing programs.
 
Serious problems begin surfacing with the Aquatic Center HVAC, ceramic tiles, entry doors, court flooring, shower controls and security systems.
 
 
1989
 Interest in fitness activities increases and former lounge areas are converted to exercise equipment areas.  Demand for cardiovascular exercise machines (StairMasters, treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing machines) grows.  A new exercise equipment area is created adjacent to the track to accommodate demand.
 

1990
An Assistant Aquatics Director position is approved to help manage the pool and beach.
 

1991
Assistant Fitness/Wellness position is approved to provide fitness assessments and personal training services. 
 
Twelve Cybex selectorized strength machines are purchased effectively doubling the number of machines available.
 
RCM computer system installed for cash collections, access control and program registration.
 

1992
Prices are increased on children’s memberships to curb patron demand and ease facility overcrowding.
 
Original Nautilus machines are replaced with twelve new pieces.
 
Department staff is reorganized.  Associate Director position is dropped and new Marketing position is created.
 
One of our seven racquetball courts is converted to an International size squash court.
 

1993
New fitness facilities are opened at the Evanston Health Club, Skokie Park District, Wilmette Park District and McGaw YMCA offering patrons alternatives to the Henry Crown Sport Pavilion/Aquatic Center.
 
Twelve new cardiovascular exercise machines are purchased to meet increasing patron demand for exercise equipment.
 

1994
Pool closed entire summer (3 months) for major HVAC repairs.
 
Women’s Soccer becomes a varsity sport.  Long Field (formerly an exclusive recreational field space) is now shared with Varsity Athletics.
 
 
1995
Henry Crown Sport Pavilion squash courts converted to a 1600 sq. ft. weight lifting area.  This provides space for barbell/dumbbell activities.
 
A second racquetball court is converted to an International squash court. 
 
 
1996
Lakeside fields renovated, irrigated and sodded.  New lighted synthetic field (Astroturf) added.  This provides a major improvement for varsity field hockey, intramurals and club sports activities and is the first lighted recreational field at NU.
 

1997
New satellite fitness center is added to Blomquist Recreation Center by converting a former basketball court.   The new fitness center serves the south end of campus and is well received.  Student use of the building dramatically increases.
 

1998
On April 22, 1998, Northwestern University announced it had received a $6.1 million gift from Eric J. Gleacher to create a state-of-the-art indoor golf facility and to endow the men's and women's golf programs. The $1.1 million Gleacher Golf Center is the finest indoor learning center in the collegiate golf world. Click here for facility information. The facility, built on the site of the University's old swimming pool located in the Patten Gymnasium complex, includes the following features:
  • A teaching area with three permanently mounted digital video cameras connected to two viewing monitors.
  • A hitting area with three stations. Players can either hit full shots into a netted area or hit pitch shots onto a green.
  • A 2,375 square foot pitching and putting green with a special sand-bed golf surface which simulates play characteristics of real grass. Contouring, shaping and grading was advised by golf course architect Bob Lohmann, architect of the Merit Club, site of the 2000 U.S. Women's Open.
  • A 280 square foot sand bunker.
  • A player locker area, with 18 custom made wood lockers for club storage.
  • A players and sports equipment room. This "Clubhouse" structure, designed to reinforce the golf course atmosphere, overlooks the facility.
  
 
2002 
The Ivan Combe Indoor Tennis Center opens.  The project includes six indoor tennis courts, varsity locker rooms, three basketball courts and a tenth/mile indoor jogging track. 
 

2011 
NUDAR contracts with Populus to conduct a facility master plan for Athletic and Recreation facilities.
 
 
2012 
NU Board of Trustees authorizes a $220 million dollar capital campaign for construction of an indoor field building.
 
 
2014
New NU Sailing Center opens just feet from Lake Michigan's shore on the south side of campus.  The $2.5 million project replaces a small wooden building that served as the University's boathouse since the 1970s.  The old boathouse lacked creature comforts such as bathrooms, a classroom, heat and air conditioning. The new building has all of these amenities, plus changing rooms and lockers.  Garage doors offer functionality to the building making it easy to move equipment in and out and keep sails, boards, paddles, and life jackets clean and secure.  Click here for the full news release.
 

2014
Henry Crown Sports Pavilion renovations are completed including an additional 30,000 square feet, new studio space, and new exercise equipment.  This addition to the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion is the first major change to the building since the Combe Tennis Center opened in 2002, and it coincides with the completion of the North Campus Parking Garage.  Click here for the full news release.
 

2015
Northwestern Athletics and Recreation began building of Ryan Fieldhouse and the Walter Athletics Center. Construction of Ryan Fieldhouse required demolition of Henry Crown Sport Pavilion basketball courts and indoor track. The new courts and an indoor track will be built below grade to permit construction of Wilson Field above the courts.
 

2018
Ryan Fieldhouse and Walter Athletic Center open. Recreation adds three basketball courts (including a multi-purpose court), indoor track and new track side cardio equipment area. Recreation club and intramural sports begin evening use of the indoor Wilson Field. Patten Gym closes for recreational use. Master plan calls for re-purposing building to serve varsity golf and fencing programs.