Friday, May 8, 1998
The Avenues of the Bruins
VENUES: Well-known venues bear names of famous Bruins
By Evan Lovett
Daily Bruin Contributor
Take a look around Bruin Walk: Ackerman Student Union, Wooden
Center, Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, Morgan Athletic
Hall of Fame, Pauley Pavilion, Drake Stadium and (down the street)
Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Each of these venues is an integral part of student life over
the course of one’s career as a Bruin. Yet, through this menagerie
of named buildings, how many UCLA students have stopped to ponder
who these buildings are named for, and why these people are forever
entrenched in UCLA lore?
The Student Union has been central to student life at UCLA since
1932, when student activities were housed in Kerckhoff, and ASUCLA
was $175,000 in debt. William C. "Bill" Ackerman, a 1924 alumnus
serving as tennis coach and athletic director, was appointed
graduate manager and took over student activities. He immediately
loaned the university $100,000 and guided the university into the
black within eight short years.
Throughout his 47 years at UCLA, Ackerman served in many
capacities, including student, faculty member, general manager,
ASUCLA Executive Director and baseball coach. Affectionately known
as "Mr. UCLA" by students and faculty, he was directly responsible
for virtually all student activities during his tenure.
After his retirement in 1967, the Student Union was officially
dedicated William C. Ackerman Student Union by the UC Regents.
"In these positions, it is generally considered that he
personally influenced more students … than any single individual
in the history of UCLA. It is fitting that his name be
perpetuated," said Chancellor Fanklin D. Murphy at the
dedication.
John Wooden is generally considered the greatest coach in UCLA
basketball history, if not all of college sports. Under his 27
years of guidance, the Bruins compiled a record of 620 wins and 147
losses. They achieved ten national titles, including an
unprecedented seven in a row, during which they also won 88
consecutive games, a national record. Wooden, a charter member of
the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame, is the only person elected to the
National Basketball Hall of Fame twice – once as a coach and as a
player.
It is fitting that UCLA would name the sports and recreation
center after someone of such exalted status as the man simply known
as "Coach." Perhaps more fitting was the fact that Wooden, twice
named Sports Illustrated Man of the Year and the only sports figure
ever to win the Bellarmine Medal of Excellence, is a man who
exemplified humanity, pride and unselfishness – both on and off of
the basketball court.
A noted philanthropist as well as unparalleled motivator, the
exploits of John Wooden were recognized on May 2, 1983, when UCLA
unveiled the $9.6 million John Wooden Recreation and Sports Center.
The most honored player and coach in hoops history downplayed the
event in characteristic style, saying, "Honors are fleeting, just
as fame is. I cherish friendship more."
It is appropriate that the Student Health and Wellness Center is
named after someone else who was also held in very high regard.
When asked about Arthur Ashe, Chancellor Charles E. Young replied,
"He was a true champion, not only in athletics, but in support of
the universal cause for human rights and dignity."
Arthur Ashe graduated from UCLA in 1966 with a degree in
business administration. Already an All-American, Ashe parlayed his
collegiate success to the professional level, winning the U.S. Open
and Wimbledon, while reaching the revered No. 1 ranking on two
separate occasions.
Ashe, a 1984 inductee into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame, was
as skilled in the fields of human rights and philanthropy as he was
on the tennis court. An outspoken opponent of apartheid in South
Africa and supporter of the human rights movement in the United
States, Arthur Ashe was a man of extreme courage and pride, always
standing up for his beliefs until his untimely death from AIDS. in
1993.
The 36,000 square-foot, $7 million Arthur Ashe Student Health
and Wellness Center is a testament to a man who gave his all to
causes he believed in and touched the lives of many he
encountered.
On the south side of Bruin Walk, directly across from the Wooden
Center, is the J.D. Morgan Athletic Hall of Fame. Dedicated on June
11, 1984, the two-story complex contains articles, trophies,
pictures, Olympic Medals and other memorabilia celebrating UCLA’s
storied athletic history.
J.D. Morgan was chosen to be the namesake of this landmark due
to his immeasurable contribution to UCLA athletics. The Bruins won
30 NCAA titles and 48 conference championships during his reign as
athletic director from 1963-1980. His influence as athletic
director was felt in many areas. He returned Bruin hoops to campus
in Pauley Pavilion, moved the athletic headquarters to their
current, permanent location, and played an instrumental role in
opening Drake Stadium.
The renowned, legendary Pauley Pavilion started as an alumni
campaign to raise $5 million for a Memorial Activities Center in
1963. Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy envisioned a multi-purpose
auditorium providing space for academic events such as
commencement, conferences and faculty meetings.
However, under the influence of J.D. Morgan, Murphy was
convinced to use the building for sporting events and expand the
seating capacity to 13,000. The auditorium was sorely needed, as
the Bruin basketball team was playing home games at local high
schools and junior colleges. Also, the largest indoor meeting place
on campus was Royce Hall, with a capacity of 1,892.
When the drive began, the State of California pledged $2
million, UC loans provided $1 million, and the remaining $2 million
was to come from alumni pledges. UC Regent Edwin W. Pauley promised
a matching gift, dollar for dollar up to $1 million. The pledges
came in and as Pauley kept his promise. The official dedication was
on June 11, 1965. Pauley, a member and former Chairman of the Board
of Regents, was on hand as the activities center was formally
dedicated in his honor.
Elvin C.
"Ducky" Drake entered UCLA in 1923 and remained with the
University in some capacity until his death in 1988. "Ducky" was
the track coach from 1947-1964, and was the head athletic trainer
from 1942-1972. He was also one of the charter members in the UCLA
Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.
"Ducky" Drake’s capacity with UCLA cannot be understated. He was
a counselor, a lending hand, and a caregiver to the the thousands
of athletes that passed through UCLA during his time. In 1973, the
track and field facility underwent a renovation and was renamed
Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake Stadium in his honor.
"When someone thinks of UCLA, the first person to come to mind
is Ducky Drake. Ducky has been like a second father to virtually
all of our coaches and athletes and was a great man," said Athletic
Director Peter Dalis after Drake’s death.
South on Sepulveda Boulevard, off of Constitution Avenue, is
Jackie Robinson Stadium, one of the most quaint, charming baseball
facilities in collegiate baseball. The well-manicured stadium is on
the grounds of the Veterans’ Administration and is a picturesque
site to take in a baseball game. This is the home field of the UCLA
Bruin baseball team, a vast improvement over their home field. No
less than eighteen years ago they were playing with wooden
bleachers, less than regulation foul ground and poor lighting.
On February 7, 1981 the remodeled, renovated stadium was
officially dedicated to Jackie Robinson, the perhaps the greatest
athlete ever to compete for UCLA. Jackie Robinson was one of only
two four-sport letterman in UCLA history. Robinson attended the
university from 1939-41, winning a national championship in track
and field, two conference scoring titles in basketball, and
becoming an honorable mention All-American in football. Ironically,
the only sport Robinson did not dominate at UCLA was baseball, the
sport that he would later impact enough to change the face of
sports forever. Jackie Robinson will forever be remembered as the
first African American to break the color barrier in a major sport,
taking the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
The tremendous impact of Bill Ackerman, John Wooden, Arthur
Ashe, J.D. Morgan, Edwin Pauley, Ducky Drake and Jackie Robinson
can never be understated. Each contributed to making UCLA a more
well-rounded, high-profile, esteemed university. It is appropriate
that there are venues to ensure that these legends will be
remembered for years to come.
PATIL ARMENIAN
The Arthur Ashe building.
Photos by PATIL ARMENIAN
Pauley Pavilion.
PATIL ARMENIAN
John Wooden Center.