Lawrence A. Wien Stadium
Encyclopedia
Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at Baker Athletics Complex is a stadium
located at the northern tip of the island of Manhattan
in New York
in the Inwood
neighborhood. It is primarily used for gridiron football
, lacrosse
, and track and field
events, and is the home field of the Columbia University
Lions. It opened in 1984 and holds 17,100 people. It is part of Columbia's Baker Athletics Complex (formerly known as Baker Field, but not to be confused with the former Baker Bowl
located in Philadelphia).
from Low Memorial Library
, the field where Lou Gehrig
played for the Lions. (It is now partially covered by Butler Library
.) The athletic complex is located just south of the Spuyten Duyvil
, the confluence of the Harlem
and Hudson
rivers, at the northern tip of Manhattan Island. It was purchased for the university by financier George H. Baker for $700,000 in December 1921. It was dedicated the following April, but it was not until 1923 that the team began playing there. A 32,000-seat wooden stadium was built on the site in 1928; this was in use until 1982, when it was demolished to make room for the current Wien Stadium.
. The first home win at the stadium came on October 8, 1988, over Princeton
. The 10,500-seat southeast (home side) stands were built first; the 6,500-seat northwest stands opened two years later. The stadium is named for Lawrence Wien
, class of 1925, a former trustee, philanthropist, lawyer and entrepreneur. After a $5 million donation by Robert Kraft
, class of 1963, the field was named in his honor on October 13, 2007.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located at the northern tip of the island of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the Inwood
Inwood, Manhattan
Inwood is the northernmost neighborhood on Manhattan Island in the New York City borough of Manhattan.-Geography:Inwood is physically bounded by the Harlem River to the north and east, and the Hudson River to the west. It extends southward to Fort Tryon Park and alternatively Dyckman Street or...
neighborhood. It is primarily used for gridiron football
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
events, and is the home field of the Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Lions. It opened in 1984 and holds 17,100 people. It is part of Columbia's Baker Athletics Complex (formerly known as Baker Field, but not to be confused with the former Baker Bowl
Baker Bowl
Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its formal name, painted on its outer wall, was National League Park. It was also initially known as Philadelphia Park or Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds.It was on a small...
located in Philadelphia).
Baker Field history
Baker Field is Columbia's outdoor athletic complex. Previously, all outdoor teams had played on South Field, across 116th Street116th Street (Manhattan)
116th Street runs from Riverside Drive, overlooking the Hudson River, to the East River, through the New York City borough of Manhattan. It traverses the neighborhoods of Morningside Heights, Harlem, and Spanish Harlem; the street is interrupted between Morningside Heights and Harlem by Morningside...
from Low Memorial Library
Low Memorial Library
The Low Memorial Library is the administrative center of Columbia University. Built in 1895 by University President Seth Low in memory of his father, Abiel Abbot Low, and financed with $1 million of Low's own money due to the recalcitrance of university alumni, it is the focal point and most...
, the field where Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
played for the Lions. (It is now partially covered by Butler Library
Butler Library
The Nicholas Murray Butler Library, commonly known simply as Butler Library, is the largest single library in the Columbia University Library System, which contains over 9.3 million books, and is one of the largest buildings on the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University.Proposed as...
.) The athletic complex is located just south of the Spuyten Duyvil
Spuyten Duyvil Creek
Spuyten Duyvil Creek is a channel connecting the Hudson River to the Harlem River Ship Canal, and on to the Harlem River in New York City, separating the island of Manhattan from the Bronx and the rest of the mainland. The neighborhood named Spuyten Duyvil lies to the north of the creek.Spuyten...
, the confluence of the Harlem
Harlem River
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...
and Hudson
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
rivers, at the northern tip of Manhattan Island. It was purchased for the university by financier George H. Baker for $700,000 in December 1921. It was dedicated the following April, but it was not until 1923 that the team began playing there. A 32,000-seat wooden stadium was built on the site in 1928; this was in use until 1982, when it was demolished to make room for the current Wien Stadium.
The "New" Stadium
Wien opened on September 22, 1984 with a loss to HarvardHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. The first home win at the stadium came on October 8, 1988, over Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. The 10,500-seat southeast (home side) stands were built first; the 6,500-seat northwest stands opened two years later. The stadium is named for Lawrence Wien
Lawrence Wien
Lawrence Wien was an American lawyer, philanthropist and real estate owner.-Early life:Wien was born in Manhattan, New York City, and received his bachelors degree from Columbia College in 1925 and his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1927.-Career:Wien served as the Chairman of the Board of...
, class of 1925, a former trustee, philanthropist, lawyer and entrepreneur. After a $5 million donation by Robert Kraft
Robert Kraft
Robert K. Kraft is an American business magnate. He is the Chairman and was the Chief Executive Officer of The Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development and a private equity portfolio...
, class of 1963, the field was named in his honor on October 13, 2007.