History and Significance: As early as 1925, an athletic building for indoor exercise was proposed by the Board of Mangers. By 1953, a new fieldhouse had been identified as an essential component of a capital campaign for a building program undertaken by the Board, along with a new dormitory (Leeds). These two buildings expanded the campus to the south and west. Plans were drawn by Carroll, Grisdale and Van Alen in 1955, and the project was nearing completion in spring of 1957.
Donated by alumni and friends of the college in 1957, Alumni Field House provides extensive facilities for athletics and recreation. The 58,000 square-foot facility was resurfaced in 2008 to include four tennis courts and a 200-meter oval that comprise The Gary Lutnick Tennis & Track Center.
The tennis surface, called Mondoten, is a multi-layer system designed to optimize shock absorption and uniform speed of play. The tennis center is named in honor of Gary Lutnick, the brother of Howard Lutnick '83. Howard Lutnick was a member of the Haverford College men's tennis program during his time as a student at Haverford.
The track, which has no coating or granules that might wear off, is made of FTX, and has been used for all Olympic competition since 1976. The four-lane Haddleton Track includes several pits for jumping and pole-vaulting. The Field House also contains two batting cages and a playing field for such sports as field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, baseball and softball.
Read about Field House Lighting that is increasing light levels and decreasing energy usage