Huntington Gymnasium reaches 100 years

When the ground broke on a plot at the bottom of the hill on a June day in 1924, the event was met with celebration and relief.

At last, Colgate was witnessing the groundbreaking of Huntington Gymnasium, a state-of-the-art facility that was desperately needed to meet the athletic requirements of an institution where enrollment was growing rapidly.

Now, a century has passed since the first plough tore through the soil where Huntington Gymnasium stands today. It is a major milestone for a cherished facility that has provided athletic services to generations of students.

To celebrate the anniversary, Colgate athletics has planned activities that would make Dr. Ellery C. Huntington — the man named after the facility for changing the lives of countless students during his career as director of physical education — smile. 

Students, faculty, and staff, will have the opportunity to join a fitness challenge that will begin on Oct. 18 and conclude on Nov. 21 — the day the cornerstone was laid in 1924. The challenge requires participants to partake in 30 workouts in the month. Those who join the challenge will receive a punchcard at the equipment cage to track workouts. 

Prizes will be given for every 10 workouts. Those who reach 30 will have their names entered in a raffle for a chance at the grand prize — a set of Apple AirPods Pro. 

In addition, posters will be placed around the building with information about Huntington Gymnasium’s history.

“Huntington has reached a special milestone,” said C.J. Molina, the director of recreation. “As we searched for ways to recognize the centennial, it was obvious that a fitness challenge was the best way to celebrate the anniversary of a building that has been the hub of physical health, fitness, and wellness for so many members of our Colgate community. We hope that as many students, faculty, and staff as possible participate in the challenge and take time to learn more about the building’s history.”

As the University has expanded over the years, so has Huntington Gymnasium. A new fitness room, weight room, and natatorium were added. Plus, the additions of other buildings, like the Athletic Reid Center, have allowed Huntington Gymnasium to be refitted for new purposes. 

And with a new athletic facility under Colgate’s Third-Century Plan in development, Huntington Gymnasium’s function will again be reshaped. 

But the impact it makes on the lives of students will not change.

Yariv Amir, the vice president and director of athletics, spent considerable time in Huntington Gymnasium as a student-athlete, when he served as captain of the men’s rowing team, which has its offices and training facilities in the building. Now, in his administrative role, he keeps his offices in Huntington Gymnasium. 

“It is a special feeling to come to work everyday in a building that has served the Colgate community for 100 years,” he said.

“Physical education, recreation and athletics (PERA) play an important role at Colgate and are core to the mission of the institution. Over the years, we've renovated parts of Huntington, and complemented Huntington with new athletic facilities, but Huntington is the building that has been home to PERA for many generations of Colgate students and will continue to be that in Colgate's third century,” he said.

“As we currently work to finalize plans for a new athletics building on campus, I think of Huntington with the hope that we'll design and build another building that will serve the next generations of Colgate students,” he said.

The history of Huntington Gymnasium goes back as early as 1911, when Colgate officials began discussing the need for a new athletic facility. 

At the time, the University’s entire athletic program operated from a building that was simply known as the “old gymnasium.” 

But by the turn of the century, Colgate’s enrollment was on the rise. From 1900 to 1925, the University went from a student body of 300 to more than 800 — and the Board of Trustees had approved a plan to raise the total to 1,000.

Years before the first shovel dug into the ground where Huntington Gymnasium now stands, Colgate struggled to accommodate the demand for new athletic programs. The old gymnasium, built in 1893, had become inadequate.

In the old gym building, basketball practices were conducted on a small court. Some programs, like winter track, had no opportunities for indoor practice. The building did not contain the facilities for aquatic sports. 

In the old gym building, basketball practices were conducted on a small court. Some programs, like winter track, had no opportunities for indoor practice. The building did not contain the facilities for aquatic sports. 

“In fact, on special occasions, it has been almost impossible to find a method by which all those wishing admission can be taken care of. Our athletic teams also have been greatly handicapped due to the lack of space and equipment,” wrote the staff of the 1927 yearbook.

The Colgate Alumni Corporation launched a massive fund-raising effort to build the $400,000 Huntington Gymnasium. Alumnus and undergraduates were required to help raise money. Gifts arrived in all amounts, with some people showing their love for Colgate by making huge sacrifices to donate. 

One alumnus, who suffered from paralysis, relied on a $75 check from the government. The alumnus donated that payment to help build Huntington. 

Meanwhile, as designs for the new building were being conceived, Colgate officials visited gymnasiums around the country, including those in Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, and Syracuse. Their research allowed architects to include the best features of modern gymnasiums in their plans. 

Huntington Gymnasium was designed as a three-story structure, made of natural gray limestone, with a court suitable for basketball, a swimming pool, new locker rooms, and sufficient space to accommodate all its programs. It also included offices and storage rooms. 

On the day of the groundbreaking, Colgate President George B. Cutten and George Cobb ’94, the Alumni Corporation president, were dressed in full academic regalia as they handled the plough to make the first cut in the soil. The task required the help of 119 seniors who were clad in caps and gowns. 

Hundreds of alumni were present for the ceremony, and cheered as they watched.

It took less than two years for Huntington Gymnasium to be built. The arrival of a new facility came at an impeccable time. A few months before the grand opening, the old gymnasium was destroyed in a fire.

A key contribution to the construction came from James C. Colgate ’84, who donated the money to complete the swimming pool after it was discovered that the budget would fall short of covering the expense.

Honoring the building after Ellery C. Huntington was an obvious choice. In his 25 years at Colgate, he had won the respect and love of every student who came under his influence. Known as “Doc” Huntington, he not only healed wounds but helped students overcome whatever difficulties they encountered. 

In the 1926 April-May edition of Colgate Magazine, “Doc” Huntington wrote an article to provide an update on the construction, which was near completion.

“It stands as a magnificent monument to the sacrifice of all who have and all who will through the Alumni Fund, give of their generosity,” he wrote. “This building will provide for future generations of Colgate men that necessary development of body which is such an essential part of the development of mind.”