I was there when they added rows to to top of the east side and before the south endzone was closed. Original capacity was around 18000 and the addition brought it up to around 22000. Walked across the street from old Westgate Hall for the games. Parking was on the old ROTC drill fields and wasn't a problem. A popular chant was "All the way to Lincoln Way." We snuck in with vodka injected oranges in those days. Alcohol was strictly prohibited on campus and tailgating was yet to be invented. Fifty yard line seats behind the ISU bench were easy to get if you arrived an hour before kickoff, but there were usually 4-5000 noisy students there. Not bad for a student body of around 9000.
Clyde Williams Stadium?
- Thread starter swarthmoreCY
- Start date
I think with some of the major investments planned, JTS will be pretty nice. However, I enjoy history and ISU football, so naturally I am intrigued by Clyde Williams field. Only knowing of going to ISU games at JTS, it has fascinated me since my parents mentioned that ISU games were once played across from where Taco Bell stands. I can barley remember what that area was like before the new dorms/parking lots, let alone a college football stadium. For those who can remember, what was it like going to games at Clyde Williams stadium? There is an appeal to an old, yet renovated, stadium right on campus. However, from pictures I can see how the new stadium/location was needed. Parking must have been problematic, and it seems they would have needed to close Sheldon to expand.
From the Ames Public Library :
As you can see from the second picture, one end of the track ran underneath the stands. My dad likes to recount watching a track meet held at the stadium on TV and seeing the athletes run underneath the stands. Very odd.
The first year or two I was in college (late 70s) the stadium was still there. I lived in Friley and motorcycle parking was under the east side of the stadium.
FB was in the current location.
FB was in the current location.
I used to hear stories about that track going under the stands from my old coach. He would recall some of the fast people to ever run for ISU running on that track. I can't remember who was in the stories but nonetheless I would have loved to run on a unique track like that.
I also heard stories of training from a certain silver medalist in the 400H. Back in his day, they would train in the concourse on hilton. Can you imagine those runners training in a facility like that. I mean at that time, they had the first 4x4 team to have 3 runners run 44 something. Impressive!
I also heard stories of training from a certain silver medalist in the 400H. Back in his day, they would train in the concourse on hilton. Can you imagine those runners training in a facility like that. I mean at that time, they had the first 4x4 team to have 3 runners run 44 something. Impressive!
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In the second picture of the OP the bottom of the pic is north.
Anyone know when Helser was cut down in size?
The north end of Helser was demolished at the same time the field and track were torn up. I believe it was all part of the same construction for the new residence halls (Eaton/Martin) and the new UDCC building.
I wish theyd finish off what they started there and build the 3rd new building and tear down helser. Its quite a dump compared to all the buildings around it. (lived there one year... that was enough). Also, would make a lot of room for some more parking and green space.
I lived in Friley last year and I always wished the Football Stadium and Basketball arena were at the same location as Cap Timm Field. They wouldnt have flooded in 1993 and I wouldnt have had to walk as far! State Avenue probably would have been the gateway to campus if that would have taken place then.
Sunday Uti (Nigeria, Olympic Medal)
Danny Harris (Olympic Medal)
Gareth Brown (NCAA 400 m Indoor Champion from Britian)
Jon Hoogenson??? (I am guessing he was the 4th leg)
The Hilton Concourse was a better alternative than was State Gym Track)
That team finished 2nd overall at the NCAA indoor w/o an indoor track.
We will have some success like that again.
I can't remember who the 4th was but he was a 47low guy. He was the snail on the team at that time. These days we can't even put 4 people that will run 47s. Man, I wish I could have been on that team.
We will have success like that sometime. I don't see it happening for a while and not in the sprints. Throws and distance is our bread and butter now.
We will have success like that sometime. I don't see it happening for a while and not in the sprints. Throws and distance is our bread and butter now.
I just have to share this story with you, because when it was told to me, it made my day!
I work for the d.o.r. this summer, and while orientation was going on, part of our job is to make sure people know what is going on.
I was on my lunch break, and walking to the UDCC. A man in his late50 was walking between Eaton and Helser and he looked slightly confused. So I asked him if I could help him find anything. He turned to me and said, "no i'm just looking around at all of these new buildings, things sure have changed around here." As he points to Martin and Eaton and says, "The old football stadium, clyde williams field used to be right here. Then he points to a window on 2nd floor Helser and says that was my room back in 1970 somethin."
He then continued to tell me how he used to get drunk and high in his dorm room before football games. Then he went on to say that it was basically common at that time (which it was). And he told me that on friday and saturday nights he would walk out of his room into the hallway which was basically a green haze.
It was just somethin that made me laugh, I love hearing stories from older gentlemen about what went on around here before my time.
I work for the d.o.r. this summer, and while orientation was going on, part of our job is to make sure people know what is going on.
I was on my lunch break, and walking to the UDCC. A man in his late50 was walking between Eaton and Helser and he looked slightly confused. So I asked him if I could help him find anything. He turned to me and said, "no i'm just looking around at all of these new buildings, things sure have changed around here." As he points to Martin and Eaton and says, "The old football stadium, clyde williams field used to be right here. Then he points to a window on 2nd floor Helser and says that was my room back in 1970 somethin."
He then continued to tell me how he used to get drunk and high in his dorm room before football games. Then he went on to say that it was basically common at that time (which it was). And he told me that on friday and saturday nights he would walk out of his room into the hallway which was basically a green haze.
It was just somethin that made me laugh, I love hearing stories from older gentlemen about what went on around here before my time.
You know he was just pulling your leg, don't you? No one got drunk before FB games back in the '70s.
(Hah!)
My dad lived in Helser in the late 70's and I he's told stories about how bringing kegs into the relatively brand new JTS (Cyclone Stadium at the time), and how they got screwed out of good seats because frats would send their pledges in the night before to rope off large areas of the student section.
The best Clyde Williams story I heard came from my grandpa. He had just moved to Iowa from Canada in the early 60's and was the equivalent of a modern civil engineer. He was on a commission that was quality checking paving projects around the state, and they were inspecting a lot in West Ames on a fall saturday around 1967 or so. They were driving down Lincoln Way, and traffic was a mess because it was close to kickoff. As they got closer to the stadium, my grandpa noticed ropes hanging over the south stands down on to the street. When they got up past Hayward, he could see that there were students at street level tying kegs up to the ropes and hoisting them into Clyde over the back. I wish I could have been around for those days!
yea, I know. They were so squeeky clean back then
I'll have to ask IzzoClone about that one...
Summer of 1996, I was on the Homecoming Executive Committee (As part of the Alumni Association). I was a helping out with a reunion the AA was holding for Iowa State alumni that had graduated 50 years or more before that summer (1946 and before). I spent most of the week driving a courtesy van, ferrying the alums from hotels to campus and such.
I was chatting with one of my passengers and his wife one day, and he mentioned that he had played with none other than Jack Trice himself. After just about driving the van into Lake Luverne, I asked him a few questions. I don't remember everything he said about him, but the one thing that sticks out is that Jack Trice was a very self-assured individual (read: cocky), and wasn't exactly his favorite teammate.
It was a pleasure to see this 90 something year old man's face light up as we drove through campus, and to hear first hand stories about one of Iowa State's legendary figures. Through all of the infighting, and negativity we go through as Cyclones, we are still one big family, for better or worse. I cherish my years in Ames, and hope one day that some snot-nosed punk will be listening to my stories about beating Nebraska in 1992, Walden, Orr, Troy Davis, Hoiberg, VEISHEA riots, and winning the Big 8 MBB tournament in 1996.
I probably would have drove into lake luverne when I heard that. That is actually rather cool, I can't even imagine what I would have asked him about that.
Correct, as they should be. Those teams were special, I wish that you could have seen them.
Those areas were actually the bread and butter then. Occasionally, the sprints added a nice bonus.
Any word on if Hillary's brother is coming here?
