Lavietes Pavilion
Encyclopedia
The Ray Lavietes Basketball Pavilion at the Briggs Athletic Center is a 2,195-seat multi-purpose arena
in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest college basketball arena still in use (Fordham University
's Rose Hill Gym
(1924) is the oldest.)
Originally known as the Briggs Athletic Center, it was originally named for LeBaron Russell Briggs, dean of Harvard College 1891-02 and the school's athletic director for 17 years. Briggs also served as president of the NCAA
. It included an indoor track and batting cages, which were popular with local collegiate and professional baseball players (including, among others, Ted Williams
). In 1981, the Gordon Track and Tennis Center Center (located adjacent to Harvard Stadium
and the Bright Hockey Center
) opened, and the building was refurbished as the new home to the Harvard basketball program, replacing the Malkin Athletic Center in Cambridge
. The women's first game in the building was on November 26, 1982 against Chicago
, and the men's was a day later against neighbor and rival MIT
. In March 1996, the building was rededicated to Ray Lavietes '36, a two-time basketball letterman who made a $2.1 million contribution to a second refurbishing project in 1995 and 1996.
42.368218°N 71.125291°W
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest college basketball arena still in use (Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
's Rose Hill Gym
Rose Hill Gym
Rose Hill Gymnasium is a 3,470-seat multi-purpose arena on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University in The Bronx, New York City. The arena, which opened in 1925, is the oldest on-campus venue currently in use by a NCAA Division I basketball team and the second-oldest overall, with the oldest...
(1924) is the oldest.)
Originally known as the Briggs Athletic Center, it was originally named for LeBaron Russell Briggs, dean of Harvard College 1891-02 and the school's athletic director for 17 years. Briggs also served as president of the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
. It included an indoor track and batting cages, which were popular with local collegiate and professional baseball players (including, among others, Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
). In 1981, the Gordon Track and Tennis Center Center (located adjacent to Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in 1903, the stadium seats 30,323. The stadium seated up to 57,166 in the past, as permanent steel stands were installed in the north end of the stadium in 1929...
and the Bright Hockey Center
Bright Hockey Center
The Alexander C. Bright Hockey Center is a 2,850-seat ice-hockey arena in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to the Harvard University Crimson men's and women's ice hockey teams. It is named for Alec Bright '19, a former hockey player. Known as Lynah East for Cornell's dominance in...
) opened, and the building was refurbished as the new home to the Harvard basketball program, replacing the Malkin Athletic Center in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. The women's first game in the building was on November 26, 1982 against Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, and the men's was a day later against neighbor and rival MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. In March 1996, the building was rededicated to Ray Lavietes '36, a two-time basketball letterman who made a $2.1 million contribution to a second refurbishing project in 1995 and 1996.
External links
42.368218°N 71.125291°W