Art Linkletter at the Paul G. Benedum field dedication (1971)
Description:
This photograph shows Art Linkletter holding a jersey and talking into a microphone, and Athletic Director Edward Stietz at Springfield College's Benedum Field's dedication ceremony that took place on September 18, 1971. There is a crowd in the bleachers behind them. Paul G. Benedum Field was completed in 1971. Paul G. Benedum was the President of the Benedum-Trees Oil Company and a member of the Board of Directors of many gasoline and oil companies in the Unites States. He served as a member of the Springfield College Board of Trustees from 1962 to 1968, and as a Corporator of the college from 1968 to 1971. The 88,164 square foot area, costing $415,000 consists of a poly-turf surface that is used for football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, physical education classes, and intramural athletics. It was one of the largest synthetic playing surfaces in the world. In October of 2007, Benedum Field was renamed Stagg field in honor of Amos Alonzo Stagg (1862-1965). Stagg brought football to what is now Springfield College and coached the institution’s first team in 1891. After arriving as a graduate student and instructor in 1890, Stagg posted a notice inviting students and faculty to play football for the institution. After coaching for fifty-seven years at number of different institutions, he became the dean of college football coaches. Stagg pioneered the huddle, the man in motion, the end-around, and the Statue of Liberty play, among others. Also seen in the photograph is Arthur Gordon Linkletter, also known as Art Linkletter, who suggested that the college build a new swimming and diving facility. Art Linkletter was the famed entertainer best known for his TV series "House Party" that ran on CBS. For biographical information on Edward S. Steitz, see: https://springfield.as.atlas-sys.com/agents/people/110.
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