McCarthy Stadium
Encyclopedia
McCarthy Stadium, The Mac, is a 7,500-seat multi-purpose stadium
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. It is home to the La Salle University
Explorers men's and women's soccer teams. It was previously the home to the university's American football
team until it was discontinued in 2007 after a seven year revival. The facility opened in 1936. Its field is surrounded by a six lane, one-quarter mile track.
The first collegiate football game held at the stadium occurred on 1 November 1936, in which La Salle defeated fellow Christian Brothers' college (St. Mary's of Minnesota
), 47-12. The stadium was officially dedicated on 10 October 1937 with a parade consisting of a color guard, the college band, and the college ROTC unit. The stadium was just five years old when La Salle's last Varsity football game was played in November 1941. The sport was suspended indefinitely because World War II
resulted in a dramatic decline in the enrollment of La Salle and virtually every Catholic
men's college. La Salle's aggregate record during eleven years of gridiron
competition (1931–1941) was 51-34-8, and several Explorers had been named to Little All American status.
The stadium continued to host high school football
games, especially those involving La Salle College High School
on Sunday afternoons, and recent LSCHS-Saint Joseph's Preparatory School Thanksgiving
showdowns. During the Second World War, thirty or so German
prisoners-of-war (housed in the nearby Pennsylvania National Guard
Armory) were also periodically brought to the stadium for exercise, usually soccer.
Starting in 1950, the building underneath the west stands was known as "McCarthy Hall", and was the location of ROTC classes for years. McCarthy Hall was damaged, and the press box was destroyed in a suspicious fire in March 1977. Underneath the east stands, a textbook store operated until the 1980s. La Salle's Mail and Printing services are currently located under the east stands.
Over the 1988-1989 school year, McCarthy Stadium's cinder track was rubberized, and the track was named the Frank M. Wetzler Track in honor of a former La Salle Professor and track coach.
In April 1997, a concert by the Indigo Girls in 1997 suffered an 11th-hour cancellation because of standing water from heavy rains earlier in the week. In August of that year, the U. S. Postal Service held its unveiling of the official Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner
postage stamp in ceremony at the stadium.
In 2006, the grass field was razed and replaced with a Sprinturf artificial playing surface. In addition, lights were added.
. He began a law career, but at the age of thirty-four he exchanged it for a future in finance when he was appointed as a counsel in the receivership of the old Real Estate Trust Co. McCarthy went on to become President of the Philadelphia Sugar Co. and also an
officer or director of a dozen large firms. McCarthy donated $10,000 towards the construction of the stadium, and later led a fund-raising effort for La Salle's 75th Anniversary.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. It is home to the La Salle University
La Salle University
La Salle University is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the school was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. As of 2008 the school has approximately 7,554...
Explorers men's and women's soccer teams. It was previously the home to the university's American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team until it was discontinued in 2007 after a seven year revival. The facility opened in 1936. Its field is surrounded by a six lane, one-quarter mile track.
History
The original football field ran perpendicular to today's configuration, and the fifty yards of gridiron nearest the current scoreboard are essentially the result of a substantial landfill operation by Joseph M. Crowley during the mid-1930s. The above landfill involved several men and a horse to gradually level the countless truckloads of dirt, rocks, bricks, concrete, and asphalt (each load cost La Salle about twenty-five cents).The first collegiate football game held at the stadium occurred on 1 November 1936, in which La Salle defeated fellow Christian Brothers' college (St. Mary's of Minnesota
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private, comprehensive, coeducational university with an undergraduate campus in the city of Winona, Minnesota, United States...
), 47-12. The stadium was officially dedicated on 10 October 1937 with a parade consisting of a color guard, the college band, and the college ROTC unit. The stadium was just five years old when La Salle's last Varsity football game was played in November 1941. The sport was suspended indefinitely because World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
resulted in a dramatic decline in the enrollment of La Salle and virtually every Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
men's college. La Salle's aggregate record during eleven years of gridiron
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...
competition (1931–1941) was 51-34-8, and several Explorers had been named to Little All American status.
The stadium continued to host high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
games, especially those involving La Salle College High School
La Salle College High School
La Salle College High School founded in 1858 is an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school for boys located in Wyndmoor, a community in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, outside Philadelphia. The school is staffed by a lay faculty and the Christian...
on Sunday afternoons, and recent LSCHS-Saint Joseph's Preparatory School Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
showdowns. During the Second World War, thirty or so German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
prisoners-of-war (housed in the nearby Pennsylvania National Guard
Pennsylvania National Guard
The Pennsylvania National Guard is composed of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. It is one of the largest National Guards in the nation. It has the largest Army National Guard of all the states and the fourth largest Air National Guard. These forces are...
Armory) were also periodically brought to the stadium for exercise, usually soccer.
Starting in 1950, the building underneath the west stands was known as "McCarthy Hall", and was the location of ROTC classes for years. McCarthy Hall was damaged, and the press box was destroyed in a suspicious fire in March 1977. Underneath the east stands, a textbook store operated until the 1980s. La Salle's Mail and Printing services are currently located under the east stands.
Over the 1988-1989 school year, McCarthy Stadium's cinder track was rubberized, and the track was named the Frank M. Wetzler Track in honor of a former La Salle Professor and track coach.
In April 1997, a concert by the Indigo Girls in 1997 suffered an 11th-hour cancellation because of standing water from heavy rains earlier in the week. In August of that year, the U. S. Postal Service held its unveiling of the official Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
postage stamp in ceremony at the stadium.
In 2006, the grass field was razed and replaced with a Sprinturf artificial playing surface. In addition, lights were added.
Namesake
The stadium's namesake is John A. McCarthy (1872–1939) who graduated from Central High School and the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. He began a law career, but at the age of thirty-four he exchanged it for a future in finance when he was appointed as a counsel in the receivership of the old Real Estate Trust Co. McCarthy went on to become President of the Philadelphia Sugar Co. and also an
officer or director of a dozen large firms. McCarthy donated $10,000 towards the construction of the stadium, and later led a fund-raising effort for La Salle's 75th Anniversary.