Alumni Gymnasium (WPI)

Alumni Gymnasium
Alumni Gym
Location	100 Institute Rd; Worcester, MA 01609
Coordinates	42°16′28″N 71°48′31″W / 42.2744°N 71.8087°W
Owner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Operator	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Construction
Broke ground	1915
Opened	June 8, 1916
Closed	2012
Demolished	2016
Construction cost	US$128,500; ($3.87 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	Hewitt & Brown
Builder	Central Building Co.
Tenants
	WPI Engineers; Men's Basketball (1918–1968)

Alumni Gymnasium, or Alumni Gym, was a multipurpose athletic complex on the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) campus in Worcester, MA. The gym had an indoor track, a basketball court, a swimming pool, a fitness center, a bowling alley, locker rooms, and athletic offices.^[2] The gym was closed in 2012 when the Institute opened a new recreation center. In 2016, with the approval of the Worcester Historical Commission, the 100-year-old building was razed to make way for the Foisie Innovation Studio.

History

Alumni Gym under construction, August 17, 1915

Following the turn of the century the lack of athletic facilities prohibited students from participating in physical training and athletics. The Institute had little interest in this matter, so at the 1911 Alumni Council meeting, the Class of 1886 started the efforts to raise funds for new facilities. An initial goal of $200,000 ($6.17 million in 2023 dollars^[1]) was set, which would provide funds for the construction of a gymnasium and field, as well as the purchasing of equipment and starting an endowment.^[2] In the summer of 1913, this goal was reached and ground was broke on Alumni Stadium.^[3] With the stadium's completion in 1914, many were eager to begin work on the gymnasium and later that year Hewitt & Brown, a firm from Minneapolis composed of Edwin Hawley Hewitt and alumnus Edwin H. Brown '98, was selected as the architect. Central Building Company, whose president was alumnus Bradford A. Gibson '91, was awarded the construction contract in April 1915 and broke ground shortly afterward with the cornerstone being laid in June 1915.^[4] On June 6, 1916, the gym was opened following a dedication ceremony which included remarks by then Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor and future U.S. President, Calvin Coolidge.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "WPI Tech Bible - The WPI Campus". web.wpi.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
^ Taylor, Herbert Foster (1937). Seventy Years of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Privately Published. p. 243. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
^ Taylor, Herbert Foster (1937). Seventy Years of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Privately Published. p. 259. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
^ Taylor, Herbert Foster (1937). Seventy Years of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Privately Published. p. 263. Retrieved 2018-11-06.

Preceded by first arena	Home of the WPI Engineers men's basketball 1916 – 1968	Succeeded by Harrington Auditorium

[inflation-US-1] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[:1-2] "WPI Tech Bible - The WPI Campus". web.wpi.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-06.

[3] Taylor, Herbert Foster (1937). Seventy Years of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Privately Published. p. 243. Retrieved 2018-11-06.

[4] Taylor, Herbert Foster (1937). Seventy Years of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Privately Published. p. 259. Retrieved 2018-11-06.

[5] Taylor, Herbert Foster (1937). Seventy Years of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Privately Published. p. 263. Retrieved 2018-11-06.

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v t e Worcester Polytechnic Institute
People	President: Grace Wang (predecessors) Provost: Wole Soboyejo Ichabod Washburn John Boynton Faculty Alumni
Campus	Boynton Hall Washburn Shops Magnetic Laboratory Salisbury Laboratories Stratton Hall Foundry/Project Center Atwater Kent Laboratories Alumni Stadium Alumni Gym Higgins House Sanford Riley Hall Alden Memorial Higgins Laboratories Kaven Hall Morgan Hall Olin Hall Daniels Hall Goddard Hall Gordon Library Harrington Auditorium Stoddard Residence Center Ellsworth/Fuller Apartments Founders Hall Institute Hall Fuller Laboratories Batlett Center East Hall Sports and Recreation Center Faraday Hall
Athletics	Team: WPI Engineers Mascot: Gompei the Goat
Miscellaneous	Alden Research Laboratory Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI Center for Wireless Information Network Studies Institute Park Fraternities and sororities

v t e WPI Engineers men's basketball
Venues	Alumni Gym (1918–1968) Harrington Auditorium (1968–present)
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23

Construction
Alumni Gym

Location	100 Institute Rd Worcester, MA 01609
Coordinates	42°16′28″N 71°48′31″W / 42.2744°N 71.8087°W / 42.2744; -71.8087
Owner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Operator	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Broke ground	1915
Opened	June 8, 1916
Closed	2012
Demolished	2016
Construction cost	US$128,500 ($3.87 million in 2023 dollars^[1])
Architect	Hewitt & Brown
Builder	Central Building Co.
Tenants
WPI Engineers Men's Basketball (1918–1968)