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During the summer of 1976, two new recreational facilities were dedicated on the campus of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. One, the 145,000 square foot Central Campus Recreation Building, was erected at a cost of 5 million dollars; the other was the 2.5 million dollar North Campus Recreation Building with 59,000 square feet of space. This additional 204,000 square feet of indoor recreational space has brought about a substantial increase in participation in the recreational sports program at the university. Nearly 1.25 million participation were recorded this past year alone.

The pleasure and enjoyment afforded by these new facilities might never have been realized were it not for the far-sighted planning and efforts of certain recreational administrators of the 1920's, notably Elmer D. Mitchell, rightfully called "The Father of Intramurals." For, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the University of Michigan's first intramural facility, the Intramural Sports Building, the forerunner of all campus recreational centers in the country. It was Mitchell's dream that this building would provide a place "where a thousand students [can] enter daily to congregate, and to mix their exercise with sociability."(1)

Construction of this unique facility began in July of 1927 and was complete by October of 1928 at a cost of $743,000. Public interest in the building, which incorporated many features far ahead of the times, was so great that a number of open houses were staged in order to satisfy the curiosity of droves of spectators.

The brick-faced building stands on the Athletic Campus of the University of Michigan facing Hoover Avenue. Its Lombard Romanesque style was the genius of the firm of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls of Detroit who a few years later designed the impressive Rackham Building known for its "formal elegance."(2) Mitchell described the newly open building in a 1928 article in the Discobolus:

"The structure itself ever surprises the onlooker by its unusual combination of beauty and utility. In the first place the building is designed to have plenty of light and air; it is long and narrow and none of the exercise quarters are completely below ground. The size, too adds to its impressiveness for it is 420 feet long by 120 feet wide.... The windows are very large and use up almost the whole of the sides of the building. These high arched windows, their long rows unbroken save for the imposing arches which span the entrances at front and rear, present a striking architectural design."(3)

The arched entrances mentioned by Mitchell are monumental in character extending above the general line of the roof and divide the building into wings--the smaller East Wing and the West Wing which houses the vast main gymnasium. Entering the building from Hoover Street one is immediately impressed by the "dignified and ornamented" warmth of the spacious lobby area.(4) Its ceiling "gaily decorated" with "a cluster of lights hanging overhead" is "satisfying to an upward glance," in the words of Mitchell.(5) The building boards which line the west wall are still used today to display team standings and intramural news.

Above the lobby can be found the main locker rooms while below it the heating plant is situated. To the east lies the 100 foot long combatives room, the auxiliary gym and swimming pool. The west wing contains the racquet ball and squash courts, weight training facilities and the vast main gymnasium extending the entire width of the first floor.

The facility, in its original form, contained several unique features that display the remarkable foresight and ingenuity of its principal planner, Mr. Mitchell. First, Mitchell foresaw the popularity of squash racquets at the University of Michigan during future decades. He provided for this with construction of thirteen squash courts. Squash was then a localized, Eastern sport that had not at that time gained a popular Midwestern following.

Fourteen handball courts were also included in the original structure and their maple walls and ceilings have passed the test of time admirably. These courts served the recreational needs of the campus community adequately until the early 70's when the demand for court space by racquetball and paddleball enthusiasts became overwhelming. Chambers behind the courts were packed with saw dust to make the ball more lively and to deaden the sound of the ball as it struck the wall.

The floor of the main gymnasium also displayed several unique qualities. The thick maple flooring, one and one half inches thick contained a small space between it and the sub-floor constructed of pine 2 x 6' placed on edge. This provided resiliency during play. The subflooring also served to sound proof the activity areas below the gym. The years have not diminished the original high quality of the floor or its resiliency.

A moveable wall between the gymnastics and pool areas was also innovative. The wall could be raised in its entirety to provide a viewing area for up to 1500 spectators while, lowered into place, it created a unique open recreation area for tumbling and low organized games.

The ceilings of the building, notably the natatorium ceilings, were lined with cork slabs, 2 inches thick, which dampened the "sharp resounding echoes so common to swimming pool and rooms of large dimensions, but also ... [served] to eliminate the condensation of moisture which so often causes dripping from the ceiling."(6) The natatorium also featured a double wall with a ventilator shaft for bringing up heated air. The heating plant below was sophisticated for its era with oil burning furnaces, transformers to provide power for the ventilating fans and lighting, a large water softener and a water purification system for the swimming pool.

Since the original facility was of such fine, initial quality, the university has placed high priority on renovating and maintaining the quality of the activity space within the building. During the past 5 years approximately $750,000 has been spent to upgrade the facility. Renovation has included all new electrical wiring, a new roof, new lights in the pool, gymnasiums, squash and racquetball courts. The interior of the natatorium has been renovated and modern shower and lavatory facilities and saunas installed. A communications system to all offices and activity areas is also being provided.

Thus, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Intramurals Sports Building, we would like to acknowledge our debt of gratitude toward all those who made it possible for this remarkable facility to provide fifty years of recreational service to the university community while at the same time serving as a prototype and inspiration for the construction of recreational facilities during the past half century.

References

(1) Mitchell, Elmer D. "A New Sports Building for Men," Discobolus, Columbia Historical Revitalizations Press, 1976.

(2) Hunt, Donald E. Points of Interest at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Historical Revitalizations Press, 1976.

(3) Mitchell, Elmer D. "A New Sports Building for Men," Discobolus, Columbia University, 1929, reprint n.n.

(4) ibid.

(5) ibid.

(6) ibid

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Maintained by the University of Michigan Department of Recreational Sports.
Please send comments or questions to recsports@umich.edu.

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