Current Capital Campaign | JoinTheIFUND.com

By Mike Pearson
FightingIllini.com Staff Writer

Raising money for major athletics facilities on college campuses is a common practice in this day and age. However, Illinois' advancement of the football program through major capital projects is a very old concept. In fact, the first major capital campaign, organized by then Athletic Association director George Huff, dates back nearly a century.

The year was 1920 and the golden age of sport was dawning across America. Just two years removed from the conclusion of World War I, the American public was driven by an unquenched passion for sport.  

It was highly common in 1920 that a baseball headline included the mention of home run slugger Babe Ruth. Jack Dempsey ruled the boxing ring. And a chestnut thoroughbred named Man O' War emerged from Lexington to post wins in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

On the college campuses, football was thriving. California and Princeton dominated the gridiron, succeeding Coach Bob Zuppke's 1919 University of Illinois squad as the national champion.

On November 20, 1920, Zuppke's 5-1 Illlini hosted undefeated Ohio State at antiquated Illinois Field. A share of the Big Ten title was at stake. An overflow crowd of 22,000 packed the wooden stands, while tens of thousands more fans milled outside the gates. The outcome wasn't decided until the contest's final play when the Buckeyes completed a game-winning 37-yard touchdown pass.

Afterwards, in a conversation with a local reporter, Huff lamented the inadequacy of his outdated facility.

"I haven't the slightest doubt that we could have sold more than 40,000 tickets, and possibly 50,000 if we had had the seating facilities," he said. "With the growing interest in our athletic teams, it is no idle guess to prophesy that a larger stadium is a necessity."

Conversations between Huff and campus planners quickly ensued. Huff argued that Yale and Harvard Universities already had massive stadiums, and that Ohio State itself was in the midst of a multi-million dollar stadium campaign.

"I am thinking of something like these," said Huff, "but something greater somehow."

"Our Stadium will be many things," said Huff. "It will be a memorial to the Illinois boys who were killed in the World War, a recreation field, and an imposing place for our varsity games. It will be an unprecedented expression of Illinois Loyalty."

Immediately, offices for Illinois's plan were opened in the Old Union Building. Committees were quickly formed and selling the idea of a new stadium to the student body began.

It was determined that a campaign for $2 million would need to be mounted. This was akin to more than $26 million in 2018 terms.

"BUILD THAT STADIUM FOR FIGHTING ILLINI" was the battle cry.

After five months of strategic planning, concurrent meetings were called on Monday, April 21, 1921, at the Old Gym Annex and at the Auditorium.

The scenes were described as "bands playing and horns tooting. The platforms swarmed with University executives, athletes, coaches and committeemen."

As Huff, and then head football coach Bob Zuppke, rose to speak, the rafters of the building on Springfield Avenue shook with deafening cheers from the student body. Following their impassioned speeches, Zuppke ended with a request for voluntary donations of $1,000.

A deep hush of expectancy filled the gymnasium. After a few seconds, a voice shouted, "I will give, sir!"

Bedlam ensued and "the youth was carried bodily over to the platform."

Zup announced his name as Ruy de Lima Cavalcanti of Bernabuco, Brazil.

Similar pledges followed in rapid succession from Princess Tirhata Kiram of The Phillipines and J.C. Aquilar of Mexico, and when the pronouncements were tallied, officials announced that their anticipated student quota of $350,000 had been doubled!

Zuppke and Huff then took off on a journey that numbered thousands of miles and hundreds of handshakes. Their visits gained widespread support throughout the country.

George Halas, a 1918 UI graduate and eventual founder of the National Football League, praised the Athletic Association's efforts.

"The stadium drive is the greatest undertaking in the history of the University," he said, "and its success or failure will determine whether Illinois will be greater than ever or fall back."

Illini basketball alum Ralf Woods also extended his support. "I shall be glad to do all I can for the Illinois Stadium," he pledged.

For turn-of-the-century football letterman Charles Moynihan, "the question was not whether or not I favored the stadium, but what is the most I can give?"

Following months of planning and fund-raising, the groundbreaking ceremony for Memorial Stadium took place on September 11, 1922. The $1.7 million edifice arose from out of the ground just 418 days later and on November 3, 1923, the Fighting Illini hosted the University of Chicago in the facility's first-ever football game.

Huff and Zuppke's far-fetched dream had indeed become a reality, thanks to the unified spirit of the university's students and alumni.