Jeppesen Gymnasium

Jeppesen Gymnasium
	Jeppesen Gymnasium prior to opening in 1942.
Former names	Public School Fieldhouse (1942-1958)
Location	Houston, Texas
Coordinates	29°43′23″N95°20′58″W / 29.723027°N 95.349484°W Coordinates: 29°43′23″N95°20′58″W / 29.723027°N 95.349484°W
Owner	University of Houston
Capacity	2,500
Construction
Broke ground	1941
Opened	1942
Demolished	March 1996
Architect	Harry D. Payne
General contractor	Fretz Construction Company
Tenants
	Houston Cougars men's basketball (NCAA) (1946–1966)

Last updated April 11, 2019

Jeppesen Gymnasium, also known as Jeppesen Fieldhouse, was a multi-purpose sports facility on the campus of the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. The facility was the first home to the Houston Cougars men's basketball team, and later home to the Cougars women's volleyball team. Located next to Robertson Stadium, the facility was demolished in 1996 to make room for renovations of Robertson Stadium such as the scoreboard.^[1]

The University of Houston (UH) is a state research university and the main institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, UH is the third-largest university in Texas with nearly 44,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of Houston–University Park from 1983 to 1991. The Carnegie Foundation classifies UH as a doctoral degree-granting institution with "highest research activity." The U.S. News & World Report ranks the university No. 171 in its National University Rankings, and No. 91 among top public universities.

The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, in the NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of the American Athletic Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2018 and is tied for 15th in number of Final Four appearances.

John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It was the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams. The stadium was the first home for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer from 2006 to 2011, as well as the first home of the American Football League's Houston Oilers from 1960 to 1964.

Planning and construction

Prior to the construction of Robertson Stadium, the University of Houston campus had been built nearby in 1939. In the summer of 1941, construction began on Jeppesen Gymnasium as part of a joint project between the Works Progress Administration and the Houston Independent School District. It was constructed simultaneously with nearby Robertson Stadium.

Works Progress Administration largest and most ambitious United States federal government New Deal agency

The Works Progress Administration was an American New Deal agency, employing millions of people to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. It was established on May 6, 1935, by Executive Order 7034. In a much smaller project, Federal Project Number One, the WPA employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects. The four projects dedicated to these were: the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP), the Historical Records Survey (HRS), the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), the Federal Music Project (FMP), and the Federal Art Project (FAP). In the Historical Records Survey, for instance, many former slaves in the South were interviewed; these documents are of great importance for American history. Theater and music groups toured throughout America, and gave more than 225,000 performances. Archaeological investigations under the WPA were influential in the rediscovery of pre-Columbian Native American cultures, and the development of professional archaeology in the US.

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the seventh-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and insular municipalities in addition to some unincorporated areas. Like most districts in Texas it is independent of the city of Houston and all other municipal and county jurisdictions. The district has its headquarters in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center in Houston.

Architecture and features

Designed by Harry D. Payne using an art deco design style, Jeppesen Gymnasium's structure consisted of two stories and a basement.^[2] It was built of reinforced concrete and steel with masonry walls. Buttresses, columns, and steel trusses supported a sound-absorbing roof. On the south end of the structure were four entrances to a lobby that led to the basketball court itself.

Harry Daniel Payne (1891–1987) was an American architect most notable for building designs throughout the U.S. state of Texas. Payne was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and was trained at Washington University in St. Louis. Upon graduation, he attended Fort Sheridan Officers Training School, and served in World War I. He moved to Houston in 1926, and served as a consultant to Anahuac ISD, Beaumont ISD, Corpus Christi ISD, Houston ISD, and Huntsville ISD.

Related Research Articles

Williams Arena, located on the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota is the home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's and women's basketball teams. It also housed the men's hockey team until 1993, when it moved into its own building, Mariucci Arena. The building is known affectionately as "The Barn", and its student section is known as "The Barnyard".

The Fertitta Center, formerly known as Hofheinz Pavilion, is a 7,100-seat multi-purpose arena on the University of Houston campus in Houston. Located at 3875 Holman Street, it is home to the Houston Cougars men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team. Previously, the arena was opened in 1967 as Hofheinz Pavilion, named after Roy Hofheinz and his late wife, Irene Cafcalas "Dene" Hofheinz, after they donated $1.5 million to help fund construction. Roy Hofheinz, known as Judge Hofheinz, was a UH alumnus and a Houston politician, businessman, and philanthropist. The arena is now named after UH alum Tilman Fertitta, who donated $20 million toward the complete renovation of the arena in 2016. The court is named for hall of fame and former Cougars coach Guy V. Lewis. The arena also contains an alcove dedicated to Basketball Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes, a Cougar player in the 1960s and NBA star in the 1970s. Like many arenas of its kind, the seating bowl of Fertitta Center is dug into the ground so that one enters the building at the top of the bowl.

Bragg Memorial Stadium is a 25,500-seat football stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It opened in 1957 and was renovated in 1982. It is home to the Florida A&M Rattlers football team.

Sam Houston Coliseum was an indoor arena located in Houston, Texas. It was located at 801 Bagby Street near downtown. The Coliseum and Music Hall complex replaced the Sam Houston Hall, which was a wooden structure that had been erected on the site for the 1928 Democratic National Convention and torn down in 1936. The Public Works Administration contributed $1,329,508 to the project designed by architect Alfred C. Finn. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on November 4, 1936. The arena opened in November 1937 and had a capacity of 9,200. It was built in conjunction with the Houston Music Hall, which was adjacent to the Coliseum.

Health and Physical Education Arena is an 8,100-seat multi-purpose arena in Houston, Texas on the campus of Texas Southern University.

Texas A&M University-Commerce Fieldhouse or University Fieldhouse is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of Texas A&M University–Commerce in Commerce, Texas. It was built in 1950 when the school was known as East Texas State Teachers College. It is the home of the Texas A&M–Commerce Lions men's and women's basketball teams, as well as home to Lions volleyball. The Fieldhouse is also used as the location for the university's commencement exercises.

The Florida Gymnasium is a historic building located on the campus of the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Florida. It opened in 1949 as a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena that was home to the Florida Gators men's basketball team and other UF indoor sports teams until it was replaced by the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in 1980. While serving as the home court of the basketball team, it acquired the nickname "Alligator Alley."

Alumni Gymnasium, now known as Alumni Gym Fitness Center, is a building on the University of Kentucky (UK) campus in Lexington, Kentucky. It is located on the corner of South Limestone Street and Avenue of Champions next to the University of Kentucky Student Center. When it opened in 1924, replacing Alumni Hall, it was a 2,800 seat multi-purpose arena, serving as home to the UK Wildcats basketball team. It was replaced when the Memorial Coliseum opened in 1950. The building later became a student recreation facility, and was frequently used for recreational and intramural basketball. During this period, it was also home to the University of Kentucky Men's Club Basketball team, University of Kentucky Club Dodgeball team, and the UK Men's Club Volleyball team. The interior of the facility was gutted in 2017 as part of a project to renovate the university's student center, and the building reopened in 2018 as a student fitness center.

The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH". The UH football program is a member of the American Athletic Conference West Division. Since the 2014 season, the Cougars have played their home games on campus at TDECU Stadium, which was built on the site formerly occupied by Robertson Stadium, where they played home games from 1941 to 1950 and from 1997 to 2012. Over the history of the program, the Cougars have won eleven conference championships and have had several players elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, including a Heisman Trophy winner.

Cougar Softball Stadium, formerly known as Cougar Softball Field and Cougar Softball Complex, is the home field for the Houston Cougars softball team located on the campus of the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. Following the majority of the Cougars' inaugural season in 2001, Cougar Softball Stadium was dedicated 05 May 2001. The first game in the stadium was also played that day against the UAB Blazers. While the stadium was playable, it was not fully completed until the next season. The stadium hosted the 2008 Conference USA Softball Championship.

The 2006 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH represented the University of Houston in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the 61st year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by fourth year head football coach, Art Briles. The team played its home games at Robertson Stadium, a 32,000-person capacity stadium on-campus in Houston. After regular season play where Houston won the C-USA West division, the Cougars defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in the Conference USA Football Championship to become conference champions for the first time since 1996.

Jeppesen is an American company and a subsidiary of Boeing.

The Woodlands Christian Academy is a private, college preparatory Christian school in The Woodlands, unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas. The school covers grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, serving 600 students. The forty acre campus is located 28 miles (45 km) north of Downtown Houston.

The 1945–46 Houston Cougars men's basketball team represented the University of Houston in the college basketball 1945–46 season. It was their inaugural year of season play. The head coach for the Cougars was Alden Pasche, who was serving in his 1st year in that position. The team played its home games at Jeppesen Gymnasium on-campus in Houston and were members of the Lone Star Conference. Houston captured its first conference regular season title, and competed in the postseason in the 1946 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament where they were defeated by eventual national runner-up Indiana State in the second round.

The 1946–47 Houston Cougars men's basketball team represented the University of Houston in the college basketball 1946–47 season. It was their second year of season play. The head coach for the Cougars was Alden Pasche, who was serving in his 2nd year in that position. The team played its home games at Jeppesen Gymnasium on-campus in Houston and were members of the Lone Star Conference. Houston captured its second conference regular season title, and competed in the postseason in the 1947 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament where they were defeated by Arizona State–Flagstaff in the second round.

John O'Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium is an American football stadium on the campus of the University of Houston. The stadium serves as the home of the Houston Cougars football team, which represents the University of Houston in collegiate football. TDECU Stadium was built on the former site of Robertson Stadium, which was the intermittent home of the school's football program since 1946. Its official name is derived from Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU), the largest credit union in Houston, which purchased its naming rights in what was then the largest-ever naming rights deal for a college football stadium.

The 2007 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the 62nd year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by fifth-year head football coach, Art Briles. The team played its home games at Robertson Stadium, a 32,000-person capacity stadium on-campus in Houston. Competing against the TCU Horned Frogs in the 2007 Texas Bowl, the Cougars fell short, 20–13.

The 2013 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the 68th year of season play for Houston. The season marked the first for the Cougars as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Due to construction of the new TDECU Stadium during the 2013 season, the team played its home games at other locations in Houston.

References

↑ Geluso, James (20 March 1996). "Field house, Cougar Cage to go". The Daily Cougar. Retrieved 9 December 2008.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
↑ Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration on the State of Texas (1942). Houston: A History and Guide. American Guide Series. The Anson Jones Press. p. 182. LCCN 87890145. OL 2507140M.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Geluso, James (20 March 1996). "Field house, Cougar Cage to go". The Daily Cougar. Retrieved 9 December 2008.^{[ permanent dead link ]}

[2] Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration on the State of Texas (1942). Houston: A History and Guide. American Guide Series. The Anson Jones Press. p. 182. LCCN 87890145. OL 2507140M.

v t e Houston Cougars men's basketball
Venues	Sam Houston Coliseum (select games; 1937–19??) Jeppesen Gymnasium (1946–1966) Delmar Fieldhouse (1966–1969) Hofheinz Pavilion/Fertitta Center (1969–present) Health and Physical Education Arena (2017–2018)
Rivalries	Rice
Culture & lore	History Shasta Phi Slama Jama Game of the Century "Cougar Fight Song" Spirit of Houston
People	Head coaches Retired numbers
Seasons	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 1966–67 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 1999–00 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
NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

Jeppesen Gymnasium

Contents

Planning and construction

Architecture and features

Related Research Articles

References