Clyde Williams Stadium?

[Psyclone]

That's the first time ive seen any of these pictures. It's amazing how the stands are almost right on top of Helser and Friley.

I lived on the south wing of Helser. I'm not even sure if that part of Helser is still standing. You could walk out the west door and you would be right under the stadium. The student section was right in that area, so it was ultra convenient. Students would line up at the gates, but my friend and I would wait until closer to kickoff and then head into the stands. Without fail someone would see us as we walked up, and offer us a place near them. I don't even remember anyone being ****** about it.

That west door of Helser was seldom used other than game day as the route to campus and most other things was the other direction. Even heading to Dogtown, I think we left via the more standard exit which put you in the between Friley and Helser. To get to Dogtown you would walk through the Friley arches on the south end. That end was the women's dorm. All the rest of Friley and all of Helser were men. It was a terrible ratio, which I fixed by moving to the RCA my sophomore year, where the ratio was 2:1 women to men.

 

[Psyclone]

Only a 12 pack?

It was probably a 6-pack in those days (or multiple 6-packs). I'm not sure when 12-packs were introduced. The 6-pack was standard because it was light enough that housewives to deal with when getting groceries. I guess when more men started making trips to the grocery store, 24-packs and 30-packs were invented.

 

[CloneFan319]

Sweet pictures! Never realized Clyde Williams Stadium was were Martin, Eaton, and Helser are today, crazy!

 

[jdoggivjc]

I lived on the south wing of Helser. I'm not even sure if that part of Helser is still standing. You could walk out the west door and you would be right under the stadium. The student section was right in that area, so it was ultra convenient. Students would line up at the gates, but my friend and I would wait until closer to kickoff and then head into the stands. Without fail someone would see us as we walked up, and offer us a place near them. I don't even remember anyone being ****** about it.

That west door of Helser was seldom used other than game day as the route to campus and most other things was the other direction. Even heading to Dogtown, I think we left via the more standard exit which put you in the between Friley and Helser. To get to Dogtown you would walk through the Friley arches on the south end. That end was the women's dorm. All the rest of Friley and all of Helser were men. It was a terrible ratio, which I fixed by moving to the RCA my sophomore year, where the ratio was 2:1 women to men.

South end of Helser, as far as I know, is still standing. The north end of Helser is what got torn down. I was one of the last residents of Woodrow House (Long live the Beaver).

 

[Psyclone]

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.

I wish we would bring back "All the way to Lincoln Way", for tradition's sake. I also remember the "Ohhhhhh shhhhh######ttttt!" chant whenever we turned the ball over. And one can't forget Dave Cox. Dave was a little inebriated as we were routing Idaho or one of those easy preseason teams. The game was rather boring and he got on the sideline and took the cheerleaders microphone (yes, they had a PA system in those days) and started to fire up the fans. He was just going nuts on the mic down there and the students were getting into it. He kept throwing his floppy hat on the ground and really got the crowd going. Eventually he got escorted out by security, but he did such a great job, the cheer squad had him back as a regular the rest of the season. It is one of the great memories of my time at ISU in the early 70's. Heck I've remembered his name all these years. I found his email address a couple of years ago and sent him an email, but he never responded. Maybe it's a part of his life he'd rather forget.

 

[justcynn]

Iowa State is a special place. Its just too bad the momentum the success in the latter years of Clyde Williams and then the new stadium couldn't be sustainted through the 80's and 90's. I do enjoy the pictures and memories.

 

[Psyclone]

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!

In the spring of 1971, I lived in Helser and would grab a book and go get some sun in the stands of Clyde Williams. I was a high school track guy, winning some state championships in what was then called Class B. Anyway, as I was soaking up the sun one day, a track meet broke out. I believe it was a dual against Nebraska. We weren't a very good college track team. I remember thinking about going out for track at ISU, but never did it, figuring I couldn't win at the college level. The winners of the events were pretty fast, but then I realized I would be finishing in the middle of the pack with my high school times. I've sort of regretted never going out for track as I may have at least lettered, which would have been cool.

The south end of the track was weird as runners would disappear under the south endzone stands and then reappear.

 

[leroycyclone]

I miss people throwing oranges on the field....

That tradition is lost.

The Big 8 traditions are lost.

Many Big 12 traditions are already lost.

It's different now, not better.

 

[Psyclone]

I can safely say as a current student that everytime I look at picture of clyde williams I wish that it were still our stadium. renovations and additions over the years and we would actually have a very cool, respectable stadium, that would be a great home field advantage. not to mention the atmosphere that would be created by having the whole campus and campustown area tailgating and people walking around on game day.

Don't let the pictures fool you. It was an odd stadium with most seats in the end-zone. The expansion looked really bizarre. We have it so good at Jack Trice and it keeps getting better with the recent improvements.

 

[stvfarmboy]

Not sure if it has been answered, but someone asked about when the track was removed. I believe it was around 2000-01 time frame. I stayed in Friley for a conference over the summer when I was in high school and it was there then. I think that was after my Junior year of H.S. but I'm not sure. I started at Iowa State in the fall of 2001 and I believe it was gone by then.

 

[Psyclone]

I made it to the Colorado blizzard game, of course I was snowed in at maple-willow-larch, but I did button up and went over to sit in a snow drift. People had beer cooling in the snow on the seats, what people there were, haha.

The Colorado blizzard game is the only one I've missed in 25 to 30 years. And I tried. I live in Cedar Rapids and used my garden tractor snow blower to blow my long drive and a block of the street, only to find the highway had not been cleared. It would have been an impossible trip in my Mazda. I hate cold, but I had a feeling we were going to win that game and I knew it would be one for the memories.

 

[Psyclone]

Good stuff here. My biggest memory of Clyde Williams also had to do with the Nebraska tie game. I was a kid and was down on the field under the south goal post....I guess you could wander anywhere in those days...and saw Ike Harris(?) I think it was catch the touchdown pass that tied the game a 23-23. He caught it in the southeast corner area of the end zone. The place went nuts. I remember how loud it was being down on the floor. Then Tom Goedjen Lined up and missed the extra point. I think it was wide left. Man.

My brother was a kicker on the freshman team that year so he knew Goedjen. After the game we went to Kings Food Host on the corner of Linclon Way and Grand Ave. If anyone remembers that's the place where you ordered your food using a phone system hooked up to the kitchen. Anyways while we were it just so happened that Goedjen and his family walked in and sat down. After we were done my brother took us over to meet him. I remember feeling so bad for him. You could tell he was devastated.

I was there also. I think Goedjen was a soph when he missed that kick. He never missed another XP the rest of his career and became quite a good kicker. I was worried about that kick because fans rushed the field after the TD and they had to clear the field. You just knew he had too much time to think about it. I wish we could have acted like we'd been there before and maybe he goes out there before he has a chance to think about it, and history is changed.

The remarkable part of that game was how George Admunson led the team down the entire field in the last 1:17 to tie the game. He name was in the Register Peach headline I think after that game and I remember catching him at a party the next week. He was instantly famous after that game and the girls just flocked to him. All he had to do was just stand there and hardly say anything. The true definition of chick magnet.

 

[acoustimac]

Clyde Williams was my introduction to ISU sports. It's when I became a fan. Seeing Luther Blue run the second half kickoff back for a touchdown versus KSU - priceless.

If I'm recalling correctly, the track wasn't removed until long after the stadium was gone - I used to run on it when I was an ISU student. At least I ran on an outdoor track behind state gym - whether that was the original or not, I don't know. I always assumed it was.

For the record, when the new stadium was opened, student seating was still first come first served, and you could bring alcohol in. It was also a massive race up the hill - carrying our wineskins full of Whiskey of course - to get the best seats.

Wish I had more history. What I can tell you is that my brother was one of the guys that stormed the field before a game and took away the big flag the Nebraska cheerleaders were carrying and ran back to the ISU student section with it. The crowd went wild. His favorite story to this day. Of course, stories evolve over the years, but I choose to believe. Maybe why I'm still a Cyclone fan...

I have similar memories of that time. I arrived when the track was still there, seating to Cyclone Stadium was first come, and wine skins were common. Also remember passing people to the top of the stadium. My time was the days of Dexter Green and then Dwayne Crutchfield.

 

[BenEClone]

Perhaps memories are selective, but, I loved my years at ISU in the sixties - "All the way to Lincoln Way" - "All the way to Westgate" (my bride's residence). I loved skateboarding down the ramps of Clyde Williams and the intimate feel during games. BTW why is Friley still here while much newer halls have come land gone. How old is Friley?

 

[DistrictCyclone]

Perhaps memories are selective, but, I loved my years at ISU in the sixties - "All the way to Lincoln Way" - "All the way to Westgate" (my bride's residence). I loved skateboarding down the ramps of Clyde Williams and the intimate feel during games. BTW why is Friley still here while much newer halls have come land gone. How old is Friley?

Friley Hall - Rofflehaus

Doesn't answer your first question, but has some interesting information.

 

[cyhiphopp]

Sweet pictures! Never realized Clyde Williams Stadium was were Martin, Eaton, and Helser are today, crazy!

Kids these days!


It's crazy to think about all that's changed over the years. I graduated in 2003 and there's a ton that's changed since then.
I was in the band the last year we practiced at Clyde Williams field (no bleachers). I also played football and frisbee a lot there having lived in south Helser (Mortensen) and then Friley (Lincoln).

 

[cyhiphopp]

...

BTW why is Friley still here while much newer halls have come land gone. How old is Friley?

Well, at one time it was the biggest residence hall in the country so the university kind of needs that capacity. It even has it's own zip code. It was also built to last unlike the Towers so it's still in decent shape.

The cost to tear it down and build new halls would be huge and they would have to build it back with just as much capacity and would have nowhere to house the students while they rebuilt.

 

[cyhiphopp]

That tradition is lost.

The Big 8 traditions are lost.

Many Big 12 traditions are already lost.

It's different now, not better.

I hear ya. I wasn't even around for the 70's and most of my years with the Big8 we sucked at football. But it does stink that traditions are gone.
Unfortunately college football turned into a business. The Big8 would never survive these days due to having a largely rural footprint with low population density.

Now we just have to start new tradtitions and hopefully with the good coaches we have, ISU can be on the winning end more often than not in these new traditions.

 

[Cycsk]

Architectural design of Jack Trice Stadium

1935 aerial photo from the Historical Society exhibit. Baseball diamond where Helser now stands.

In all the discussions we have had about the architectural design issues of Jack Trice Stadium, I don't recall anyone ever connecting its design with the old Clyde Williams Field. Yet, as I look at this picture, I see clear design connections. I have to think that Jack Trice Stadium was built with the original Clyde Williams Stadium in mind.

Heck, I'll bet that even had huge discussions about what to do with the south endzone seating, even back then.

 

[Clonemetbear]

I was there also. I think Goedjen was a soph when he missed that kick. He never missed another XP the rest of his career and became quite a good kicker. I was worried about that kick because fans rushed the field after the TD and they had to clear the field. You just knew he had too much time to think about it. I wish we could have acted like we'd been there before and maybe he goes out there before he has a chance to think about it, and history is changed.

The remarkable part of that game was how George Admunson led the team down the entire field in the last 1:17 to tie the game. He name was in the Register Peach headline I think after that game and I remember catching him at a party the next week. He was instantly famous after that game and the girls just flocked to him. All he had to do was just stand there and hardly say anything. The true definition of chick magnet.

It was Willie Jones who caught the pass from GA. The hold on the extra point was not pointed the way sidewinders like it, thus the shank LEFT. Goedjen never left his locker area for two hours after the game.