Blum Stadium

Blum Stadium was the home of Parsons College (Fairfield, Iowa) Wildcats football from 1966 through their final season in 1970. The dedication game was a 37–7 victory over Los Angeles State on October 8, 1966. The final game was a 10–8 victory over Wayne State (Mich.) on October 24, 1970. Parsons overall record at Blum Stadium was 17–9.

In previous years, Parsons had played on campus at Alumni Field. Alumni Field was re-dedicated as Johnson Field in 1947, in honor of the faculty member who led the effort to create the playing field facility in the early 1900s. This small venue was razed in the late 1950s to make room for Fry-Thomas Fieldhouse. This location is directly south of the Blum Stadium site, in the southeast corner of the campus. From the late 1950s up to 1966, Parsons played their home games at Fairfield High School's stadium, which is located in the eastern section of Fairfield, just north of US Route 34.

Blum Stadium consisted of concrete seating placed along both sides of the field from back-of-endzone to back-of-endzone. The seating was built into an earthen horseshoe that transitioned from being excavated at the northern end to build up embankment on the southern end. The wooden pressbox was located on the western side of the stadium. The scoreboard stood atop the earthen ridge on the north end of the stadium. Two pre-fab sheet metal dressing rooms were located side by side at the south end of the stadium.

According to newspaper accounts of the time, one week before the dedication game, the stadium consisted of the sodded playing field, and the earthen horseshoe. The concrete foundations for the seating had been constructed, but no seats were in place. In the week leading up to the dedication game, the pre-cast concrete seating/walkway sections were trucked in, set into place, and wooden bench seats were bolted onto them. The wooden pressbox was built in the few days before the game. Also, the dressing rooms, scoreboard, goalposts and a chain link fence around the stadium were installed during this week. Carpenters were still working on the pressbox within 40 minutes of the 1:30 pm kickoff, and sod was being placed at the same time. In the 1967 (1966–67 schoolyear) Parsons yearbook (''The Peira''), the description of the dedication game refers to "Instant Blum Stadium."

After acquiring the Parsons campus in 1974, the Maharishi University of Management used the site as a soccer field/stadium up into the early 2000s, when it was demolished as a part of their program of transforming the campus along Maharishi Sthapatya Veda principles of architecture. The concrete seats and much of their embankment were removed to "smooth out" the earthen bowl. The playing field remains.

Photo gallery

Image:Johnson field dedication.jpg, Alumni Field/Johnson Field
Image:Parsons johnson field.jpg, Johnson Field, 1950
Image:1964 aerial.jpg, Aerial view of Parsons campus in 1964. Bowl of future Blum Stadium clearly visible
Image:1965 Parsons Northwood MI.jpg, October 2, 1965, Parsons vs. Northwood (MI) at Fairfield High School (Year before opening Blum Stadium)
Image:Blum conceptual.jpg, Conceptual drawing of Blum Stadium. Note differences with as-built final product.
Image:parsons campus map 1966.jpg, Map of Parsons campus in 1966
Image:Blum Stadium under construction.jpg, Newspaper photo in September, 1966
Image:parsons blum dedication game program.jpg, Cover of game program for dedication game vs. Los Angeles State
Image:parsons blum seating chart.jpg, Blum Stadium seating chart. East stands were for students and general admission.
Image:parsons 1966 football staff.jpg, Parsons 1966 football coaching staff
Image:parsons college 1966 football staff.jpg, Parsons 1966 football coaching staff with narrative
Image:parsons blum dedication write up.jpg, Narrative from game program for dedication game vs. Los Angeles State
Image:team ded.jpg, Parsons College football team taking the field at dedication game, October 8, 1966 vs. Los Angeles State
Image:plaque ded.jpg, Unveiling of Plaque during halftime of dedication game. Millard Roberts on left, Harry Blum on right
Image:Varsity football team (Parsons College, 1966).jpg, Parsons 1966 football team
File:1968parsonslincoln.jpg, Ticket stub for 1968 Parsons vs. Lincoln U. football game
Image:1969 aerial parsons college.jpg, Aerial view of Parsons campus in 1969
File:Football team (Parsons College,1970).jpg, Parsons final football team, 1970
File:Senior football team (Parsons College, 1970).jpg, Parsons final senior football players
File:Football Staff (Parsons College, 1970).jpg, 1970 Parsons football coaching staff. L-R, Tom Schlarbaum, Def. Line, Larry Blixt, Off. Backs, Dr. John Wahrer, AD, Frank Falks, Off. Coordinator/Line, Paul Read, HC/Defense Coord
Image:Parsons Gateway_classic042.jpg, On the sidelines, Parsons final football game, Gateway Classic, Busch Stadium St. Louis, vs. Tennessee State, 11/21/70
Image:Parsons Gateway_classic036.jpg, Coach Read and several players, Parsons final football game, Gateway Classic, Busch Stadium St. Louis, vs. Tennessee State, 11/21/70
Image:Blum rodeo.jpg, Rodeo held in Blum Stadium for Homecoming in 1971, year after final football season
Image:Parsons Blum dressing rooms.jpg, Photo from June 2008 showing concrete pads that were the dressing room floors
Image:Blum today north.JPG, Photos from June 2008 looking from south to north of Blum Stadium location
Image:Blum today south.JPG, Photos from June 2008 looking from north to south of Blum Stadium location

Image:parsons alma mater fight.jpg, Lyrics to Parsons College Alma Mater and to Parsons College Fight Song
Image:parsons college blum stadium plaque.jpg, Blum Stadium Bronze Plaque, 2015

References

Parsons College Historic Football ScoresFootball Scores from Various Historical Newspapers

Game Films

Parsons Scrimmage Spring 1966 on Site of future Blum Stadium Part 1Parsons Scrimmage Spring 1966 on Site of future Blum Stadium Part 21966 Parsons at Furman1966 Pecan Bowl Game Film (Parsons in dark jerseys)1967 Parsons at Idaho Game Film

External links

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20090228011054/http://parsonscollegeff.com/gallery.php Picture of Blum Stadium looking from north to southbr>Old newspaper articles1994 satellite photo, select "DOQ" option in menu bar
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20120305163618/http://www.parsonscollegealumni.com/history.aspx Parsons College Alma Mater and Fight Songbr>Blum Stadium site today

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Defunct college football venues
Parsons Wildcats football
Demolished sports venues in Iowa