The gymnasium was named after
Charles L. Robinson
Charles Lawrence Robinson (July 21, 1818 – August 17, 1894) was an American politician who served in the California State Assembly from 1851-52, and later as the first Governor of Kansas from 1861 until 1863. He was also the first governor o ...
, who was the first
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
, and his wife
Sara Tappan Doolittle Robinson, both as thanks for their service and to make amends for what Sara perceived to be excessive pressure on her nephew to sell of land to KU at a below-market price.
Construction began in 1905 and was completed in May 1907.
The building was a significant improvement over Snow Hall, which had 11-foot ceilings and support beams in the middle of the floor.
Robinson Gymnasium featured a
swimming pool, men's and women's
locker rooms
A changing-room, locker-room, (usually in a sports, theater, or staff context) or changeroom (regional use) is a room or area designated for changing one's clothes. Changing-rooms are provided in a semi-public situation to enable people to ch ...
, a main-floor gymnasium, 1/16-mile
running track
An all-weather running track is a rubberized, artificial running surface for track and field athletics. It provides a consistent surface for competitors to test their athletic ability unencumbered by adverse weather conditions. Historically, v ...
, a
batting cage
A batting cage (or tunnel) is an enclosed area for baseball or softball players to practice the skill of batting.
The optimal material for batting cages is netting, and they are typically rectangular in shape. Chain-link fence is not required bu ...
, a full range of gymnastics equipment and a 2,500-seat auditorium.
The gymnasium served many purposes including dances, enrollments, commencements, concerts, lectures, and even as emergency housing immediately after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
The men's basketball team amassed a 148–28 record at Robinson before the team moved to the larger
Hoch Auditorium
Budig Hall is an academic building on the main campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The building houses one 1,000-seat lecture hall, two 500-seat lecture halls, and a computer lab.
Hoch Auditorium
Hoch Auditorium was a 5 ...
in 1927.
The gymnasium was demolished in November 1967 and was replaced with Wescoe Hall.
References
Defunct college basketball venues in the United States
Indoor arenas in Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks basketball
Sports venues demolished in 1967
Sports venues in Kansas
University of Kansas campus
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