Memorial Gymnasium
MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM
MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM, DEDICATED ON MEMORIAL DAY 1909, PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORIES OF THE 17 PURDUE STUDENTS, TEAM MEMBERS, AND ALUMNI WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF THE OCT. 31, 1903, COLLISION ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF INDIANAPOLIS OF A BIG FOUR RAILROAD FREIGHT TRAIN AND A 13-COACH SPECIAL PASSENGER TRAIN CARRYING FANS AND TEAM TO A PURDUE-INDIANA FOOTBALL GAME. THE APPALLING EVENT IS STILL CONSIDERED THE WORST TRAGEDY IN THE UNIVERSITY'S HISTORY. THE GYMNASIUM WAS FINANCED WITH $88,000 IN PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS AND SERVED UNTIL THE MID-1930S AS THE HOME OF PURDUE MEN'S INTERCOLLEGIATE AND INTRAMURAL ATHLETICS, THEN SERVED FOR MANY YEARS AS THE WOMEN'S GYMNASIUM. IN 1985, THE BUILDING BECAME THE HOME OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AFTER EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONS.
MORTAR BOARD 1985
MORTAR BOARD, INC. TM
NATIONAL COLLEGE SENIOR HONOR SOCIETY
Submitted by: Melissa McCurley