Memorial Stadium site from the University of Minnesota Libraries

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snackeru

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Hey everyone! For about six months staff from the University Archives and the University Libraries, including myself, have been working on a website about Memorial Stadium and it is finally time to unveil:

http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/

The site features photos, game film, programs, correspondence, reports, blueprints and more from the University Archives all about Memorial Stadium and the activities that took place there.

Never seen Bruce Smith play football? Well, here is a link to a film featuring his stellar play:

http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/items/show/497

Wonder how Memorial Stadium seating was set up (who sat where)? Here you go:

http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/items/show/461

Ever heard about Paul Giel's phenomenal game against Michigan in 1953 and wondered how one player could dominate a game so much? Check it out for yourself:

http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/items/show/495

Over 500 items have been scanned into the site regarding Memorial Stadium and all the activities that took place here including football, cheerleading, the marching band, scientific experiements, homecoming, commencement, and more.

The site also allows you to share your own memories. If you have a story about Memorial Stadium, or photographs, or even film footage, please consider making your memory a part of the permanent collection.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the site. It was a labor of love for everyone involved with the project. Go Gophers!
 

Holy crap what a fantastic site!!!!!!!!! Thanks for putting this together and for posting it. It's clear that this was a ton of work and a labor of love...I hope people take time to look around this site.

Awesome stuff.

Go Gophers!!
 

dude, you are frickin' awesome! THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing this!

wow.....just......wow. some solid gold stuff here. :clap:
 


This is awesome!!

If you can find it, read the letters when returning to Memorial Stadium will still a possibility. Some of those same people must post on this site! My favorite quote so far: "I've seen my game in the dome and it's going to be the last. What a terrible way to spend a fall afternoon."
 


Yes, we've got a lot of those letters

One of the most upsetting things about doing this site was all the stuff that we didn't have time to include. We would have loved to have done more game programs, but they take a lot of time to scan. I would have also like to have done more of those letters. We've got a lot of those letters, and some of them are angry, some of them are really funny, and some of them are both angry and funny.

Needless to say, we've also got a lot more films. Anyway, glad you all are liking it so far.
 

$24 for a season ticket in 1961. How much were padded seatbacks?
 

how in the world did paul giel not win the 1953 heisman?!?!

the paul giel video from the 1953 minnesota vs. michigan little brown jug game is great!

giel did everything! he ran so well he looked like he could play in "today's" style of game. he played quarterback, he rushed the ball like a gazelle, he played defense and intercepted passes!

i believe 1953 was the closest heisman vote in the history of the award and still is. john lattner of notre dame didn't even lead his own team in rushing, passing, receiving or scoring. lattner only won it because he played for "notre dame". sounds like it was entirely political that he won. anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves! i mean you are supposed to give it to the BEST college football player, not the guy who played for notre dame or ohio state right?! ;-)
 





I was also surprised by that picture

The scrapbook at:

http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/items/show/458

has an article that mentions there is an extra jug I believe in case the original breaks. Actually, besides that article the scrapbook is one of the highlights of the site. Towards the end of it there is an article that discusses how after WWII they were going to build a replacement for Memorial Stadium. Even in the mid 1940s they were talking about replacing the old Brickhouse.

By the way, I asked the assistant athletic director, Phil Esten, why Munson has two jugs. He said there might even be three or four jugs. The one Munson is holding on the left is the original and the one that travels. I know because I've held it!
 

I am declaring this the finest website ever created at the University of Minnesota! I am in complete awe of what you have on there so far.

The letter from the architect to the regents was interesting in that he visited other stadiums and mentioned what styles could work. I also found it interesting that he mentioned placing the stadium near the "Farm" in St. Paul. 80 years later people were still trying to push that site.

The model of the proposed stadium I've see on the MHS picture site, and that style would have looked amazing on campus - very classical in design.
 

I never got to step inside Memorial Stadium. My only memory of it was driving by it once or twice as a kid. As someone who was robbed of experiencing this piece of Gophers history...thank you for doing this. AWESOME!
 



http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/items/show/175


October 23, 1984

Dear Sir,

As a season ticket holder, and an alumnus of the University, I write to urge you to vote to return Gopher football to the University and Memorial Stadium.

Arguments that we can not recruit or field a competitive team without a dome are insults to the University, Coach Holtz and the athletes.

But the soundest reason to return to campus is to provide the students with their team and to allow alumni those brief, but important, emotional and physical contacts that nurture enthusiasm, loyalty and support of the University.

Please, bring our team home.

Sincerely,
Ray Christianson

I AM SO HAPPY THAT RAY WILL BE PART OF THE FIRST BROADCAST IN TCF BANK STADIUM!!!
 

Shame on the following

Walter Dziedzic
Richard A Larson
Charles Osborne
Laddie Elling
Guy W. Lalone

for their letters to the University of Minnesota regents on why the Gophers should move to the Metrodome. You are not welcome at of my tailgates.

What a great site for all the Gopher Nation.
 

snackeru said:
The scrapbook at:

http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/items/show/458

has an article that mentions there is an extra jug I believe in case the original breaks. Actually, besides that article the scrapbook is one of the highlights of the site. Towards the end of it there is an article that discusses how after WWII they were going to build a replacement for Memorial Stadium. Even in the mid 1940s they were talking about replacing the old Brickhouse.

By the way, I asked the assistant athletic director, Phil Esten, why Munson has two jugs. He said there might even be three or four jugs. The one Munson is holding on the left is the original and the one that travels. I know because I've held it!
Click to expand...

on his left or on our left when looking at the photo? thanks!
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/items/show/175


October 23, 1984

Dear Sir,

As a season ticket holder, and an alumnus of the University, I write to urge you to vote to return Gopher football to the University and Memorial Stadium.

Arguments that we can not recruit or field a competitive team without a dome are insults to the University, Coach Holtz and the athletes.

But the soundest reason to return to campus is to provide the students with their team and to allow alumni those brief, but important, emotional and physical contacts that nurture enthusiasm, loyalty and support of the University.

Please, bring our team home.

Sincerely,
Ray Christianson

I AM SO HAPPY THAT RAY WILL BE PART OF THE FIRST BROADCAST IN TCF BANK STADIUM!!!
Click to expand...

it is christensen btw! ;) i am assuming you retyped his letter on your own

what a "gem" ray is! i wish he was still physically able to be the gophers play-by-play announcer on WCCO. a guys who struggles as much as dave lee does is truly an insult to the legacy of great saturday afternoon gopher football voices such as ray christensen and memorial stadium PA announcer jules perlt.
 

The grass was back in 1977, so the band photos

that are listed as being from 1977 are most likely from a couple of years before. The photos show the band kneeling on very thin fake turf. The horrible turf came out after 1976. Minnesota was way ahead of its time in terms of going back to grass.

If you watch the video of the 1977 upset win over Michigan you will see how great the stadium looked after grass returned.

The place looked very poor in the mid '70s when the turf started to wear and fade, but the grass really improved the look.

The OSU win in 1981 looked especially nice in the bright sunlight brightening the brick on the north side, and the very green (painted?) grass.
 

Wow... I just saw this while checking my iPod before going to bed... Can hardly wait to check out the site.
 

Man, this stadium/alcohol debate really has been going on forever...

fullsize




Great work, really cool website
 

snackeru - one of the real gems you included is pic of Pudge Heffelfinger circa 1936

looks like he put on some football gear for the photo. great stuff! the nfl confirmed he was the first ever professional football player in the united states. he would have been close to 70 in this pic: http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/items/show/121

although pudge did not play at the U of M (rather was coached by walter camp at yale and played along side other football greats such as amos alonzo stagg and our own henry l. williams) he did grow up in minneapolis and also coached the gophers for one season in 1895 leading them to a record of 7-3, while beating rivals becky badger and the univ. of chicago.

what an historical football photo....
 


I think the letter is written by a different Ray ...

Bronko Nagurski Gopher said:
it is christensen btw! ;) i am assuming you retyped his letter on your own

what a "gem" ray is! i wish he was still physically able to be the gophers play-by-play announcer on WCCO. a guys who struggles as much as dave lee does is truly an insult to the legacy of great saturday afternoon gopher football voices such as ray christensen and memorial stadium PA announcer jules perlt.
Click to expand...

The letter is written by a Ray Christianson. I do not believe the letter was written by the former Gophers play-by-play announcer, although I'm sure Ray Christensen would share his sentiments!
 

snackeru said:
The letter is written by a Ray Christianson. I do not believe the letter was written by the former Gophers play-by-play announcer, although I'm sure Ray Christensen would share his sentiments!
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, you are right. I didn't catch that.
 

Look at page 29 of that scrapbook. Bierman sounds like Stoops, Brown, Meyer or Carroll discussing their national ranking.

The 1940 team was AWESOME!

This site is AMAZING!!!

GM
 

1st drawing of the new stadium on campus...

...lookat page 63 of the scrapbook. A pretty amazing foresight.

Just missing the luxury suites and Loge boxes. :)

GM
 

As an alumnus, a fan of gopher football and a historian i would just like to add my sincere plaudits to those already in this thread. Well done!
 

Unreal!! I really don't know what to say other than this site is fantastic. I've been looking to something like this, website or book, to show the history of Memorial Stadium and the Gophers of old.

Well created, well organized and all around well done. Bravo to you and the others who put this together. This will be a great tool for the younger fans to step back in time and enjoy the "glory days".

On a side note, does anyone know of any books that are like this? I have multiple books about college football in it's infancy but nothing really on the Gophers.
 


Foster said:
On a side note, does anyone know of any books that are like this? I have multiple books about college football in it's infancy but nothing really on the Gophers.
Click to expand...

Foster: If you like this site, the book that you will like just as well is the University of Minnesota Football Vault. Here's the Amazon page, with a couple of reader reviews that describe it. It has a very well-written narrative, and it is filled with replicas of programs, tickets, flyers, pennants, letters, and what not to give it the feel of a scrapbook as well as a good reference work. The list price is $49, but you shouldn't have to pay that. Costco had it for half price last Christmas but I doubt if it is still in stock. I think local (Twin Cities) Borders and Barnes/Noble stores have it for about $35. Amazon lists it at that rate and has some discounted used copies as well.
 

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