The first gymnasium at Gustavus was built in 1886. The building was just a wooden barn and very basic for the needs of what a gym was used for. The only sport the building housed was basketball but it also housed the music department and also held the chapel ceremonies. Later on it came to be used for all of their general programs and came to be known as the Auditorium. The location of the old gymnasium is where Alumni Hall is today.
Courtesy of the Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
The new gymnasium was completed in 1922 and built on the location of the old gymnasium. The building was built by Beck engineering and construction company out of Minneapolis for $125,081 which was considered a lot of money in this time. The new building was on the outside 112 feet by 72 feet with the main floor being 110 feet by 70 feet. The main floor was where they played basketball and was also where gymnastics and athletic exercises were performed. The gymnasium was able to seat 450 people at one time. The building was also able to house a running track above the gym floor. The building was only used for 17 years before all of the athletics were moved to the Myrum Fieldhouse. It wasn’t until 1956 that the gymnasium was remodeled and turned into Alumni Hall.
Courtesy of the Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
The sports that were housed in the Gymnasium later known as Alumni hall were moved into the Myrum Fieldhouse in 1939 after the push of George Myrum. George Myrum was the Athletic director at the time of this push and the head football coach. Myrum was unable to see the finish of this fieldhouse after his untimely death. When he made the push for this facility he said it would be the envy of all of Southern Minnesota. He was right about that. The Fieldhouse was able to seat 5,000 people for a basketball game. There was a 50 feet by 80 feet stage able to fit an entire symphony. The whole facility was 220 feet by 110 feet. The gym floor was the envy of the state because the joists were 24 and 36 inches apart instead of the standard 16 inches. This meant that the floor was easier on the players’ knees than any other floor at the time. The Minneapolis Lakers would even come down and play the Gusties and said that the floor was one of the best that they have ever played on. The fieldhouse also housed hockey and numerous other sports and activities. The cost of the Myrum Fieldhouse was only $33,354 which is even less than their previous gymnasium. The Myrum Fieldhouse was demolished in 1984 to the dismay of many previous Gusties. Players missed the gym floor the most after the Fieldhouse was demolished.
Courtesy of the Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
Courtesy of the Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
Courtesy of the Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
After the Myrum Fieldhouse many of the sports teams were moved into the $10 million dollar Lund Complex. The complex housed Basketball, Volleyball, Hockey, Swimming, and the physical education department. The Lund complex also housed many other activities of the college other than sports. The complex was named after Russell Lund who owned string of grocery stores. The Lund family donated over $1.75 million towards the complex and towards other projects of Gustavus. The gymnastics studio was opened September 9, 1984. This was one of the first sports moved into the Lund complex. Basketball and Volleyball moved into Lund on October 21, 1984. Over 50 former basketball players returned for the first game of the basketball team that year. The Lund complex was a big step forward for many of the sports programs at Gustavus and for the college itself.
Sources
Gymnasium Drive and Building vertical files Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
Lund Center vertical files Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
Myrum Fieldhouse vertical files Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
Peterson, Conrad. A History of Eighty Years 1862-1942. Gustavus Adolphus College, 1942 pg. 48-49
Courtesy of the Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
