Athletic Facilities of the 1960s

The splendid new Jadwin Gymnasium
was the centerpiece of the University's additions to its athletic facilities during the 1960s,however, elsewhere on campus the new construction was encroaching upon the athletic fields.

For example, the construction of New Quad in 1960 displaced the tennis courts, which were moved to Brokaw Field. The Engineering School replaced the old University Field which at the same time rendered Osborn club-house purposeless. And the dorms of New New Quad were built on Goldie Field.

To offset these losses, the athletic department constructed three new facilities: Clarke Field, the new baseball diamond; Caldwell Field House,
which provided training and changing rooms for varsity athletes; and Jadwin Gymnasium, a massive new multi-purpose structure.

Providing facilities for basketball, squash, wrestling, track, and dozens of other activities, Jadwin was by far the most important of these facilities. For one, it finally gave Princeton a space adequate to hold major events such as concerts, Alumni Day luncheons, or -- in a pinch -- Commencement.

But Jadwin is also important from an architectural standpoint, certainly more so than other previous athletic facilities built at Princeton. Its unique, three-part cantilevered roof, geodesic construction, and location at the open end of the Palmer Stadium horseshoe combined to present a striking sight. It was among the first buildings at Princeton explicitly designed to accommodate women students, with locker facilities for women's teams included in the original plan.

Among the first of the truly multi-purpose sports arenas built on a college campus, Jadwin was more than simply a "cage" for indoor track meets. It was a facility flexible enough to serve many needs, from seating 7,500 people for basketball games to providing an indoor practice area for the baseball team.

With the completion of Caldwell and Jadwin, Dillon Gym
evolved into a center for intramural and club athletics, with most varsity squads dressing and practicing in the newer facilities. Caldwell, which predated coeducation and thus made no provision for women athletes, is scheduled for expansion and renovation. Jadwin, on the other hand, may well persist longer than any of its predecessors. Princeton has in succession outgrown (or lost to fire) the Bonner-Marquand Gym, the University Gymnasium, and Dillon Gymnasium, none of which lasted more than 50 years in the role as Princeton's primary athletic facility. With no replacement in sight, Jadwin Gym is only two decades away from passing that mark.