Major gift provided for Amon G. Carter Stadium
6/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
June 3, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU has announced that the Amon G. Carter Foundation has pledged $15 million to help renovate TCU's 78-year-old Amon G. Carter Stadium.
"We are delighted and very grateful that the Carter Foundation determined to give TCU such a significant gift to help renovate the stadium," said Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. "The Foundation has a strong connection to the stadium because it's named after Mr. Carter, who had a profound passion for TCU athletics and played the lead role in the first fundraising effort for the stadium. The gift also will help TCU continue building a distinctive University experience marked by excellent academic programs and facilities."
"The Carter Foundation recognizes that the football stadium remains one of the most visible landmarks on campus and in southwest Fort Worth," said John Robinson, executive vice president of the Amon G. Carter Foundation. "Our commitment signals a strong endorsement from the Carter family and Foundation of the University's intention to renovate the stadium. We are proud to be the first commitment toward the Amon G. Carter Stadium project which will enhance the University and Fort Worth for the next 50 years."
In addition to upgrading the facility, the main goal of the renovation is to create the "Camden Yards" of collegiate football stadiums.
When Amon G. Carter Stadium opened in 1930, capacity was just 24,000. With the addition of end zone bleachers, it was temporarily expanded to 30,000 prior to TCU's 1935 game with SMU. Before the 1956 season, a second deck was added on the west side to increase the seating capacity to more than 45,000. TCU's Board of Trustees voted to name the stadium in honor of Carter in 1951.
The Carter Foundation gift along with a recent gift of $8 million from Paul and Judy Andrews for the Andrews Institute of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, the John V. Roach Honors College and the Mary Couts Burnett Library, places the amount raised for The Campaign for TCU at more than $173 million.
