Linfield sports venues means legends remembered forever

Linfield sports venues means legends remembered forever

Slightly edited by Wildcatville

http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/

Linfield legends forever remembered

May 9th, 2008
By Lizzie Martinez, Linfield Review copy editor

Most of the men glorified in Linfield athletic legend have passedaway, but their legacies live on not only in the continuing winningtradition of the sports program, but also in the names of thefacilities used by students today to train and compete.

The Ted Wilson Gymnasium, Ad and Joan Rutschman Field House, RoyHelser Baseball Field, Paul Durham Foyer, Maxwell Field and Hal SmithFitness Center all proclaim the names of the cornerstones of Linfieldathletic tradition, Athletic Director Scott Carnahan said.

"When you name something after someone, it's because of the feeling(they) were an outstanding person in that sport, (and) acknowledgingthe work they did," Carnahan said.

What does it take to be honored with an entire building or stadium?Carnahan said longevity and success. For all of these men, it took alifetime of dedication to Linfield students in the academic andathletic milieu promoting success both on and off the field.

Ted Wilson
During his 20-year career as the head coach for the men's basketballteam, he racked up an impressive 324-213 record.

He is best-known for leading the basketball team to 10 NAIA conferencechampionships.

"Ted Wilson was probably the person who started the winning traditionin men's basketball," Carnahan said. "When we built the new building,it was logical we would name it after him."

Just eight years after Wilson retired from coaching, the Health, HumanPerformance and Athletics complex was constructed with a new gym toreplace the former cramped home court in the old Riley Gym,affectionately known as "House of Hustle," for Wilson's teams' styleof fast play. In 1989, it was dedicated as the Ted Wilson Gymnasium.

Wilson hung around McMinnville, staying involved to a lesser degreewith the athletic program.

He passed away in 1996 from a heart attack on the racquetball courts.

Ad Rutschman
Most players and coaches aspire to win one championship, but thatwasn't enough for Ad Rutschman.

First, as a star athlete at Linfield, Rutschman played football,basketball and baseball, excelling in all three. Known as the "FlyingDutchman," Rutschman was an All-American running back, but eventuallychose to pursue a career as a teacher and coach rather than aprofessional athlete.

As head football coach, he led the Wildcats to three national NAIAchampionships and 15 conference titles.

Rutschman topped his own record, leading the baseball team to sixconference championships and seven national titles. He is the onlycollege coach at any division level to win national titles in bothfootball and baseball.

There was only one place to go after all his achievements. Rutschmanmoved up to serve as Linfield athletic director for a quarter of acentury.

He continues to teach a course at Linfield and to serve as specialassistant to the vice president of College Relations. The field houseis named for Rutschman and his wife Joan, who served as (athleticstickets manager and athletics administrative assistant) for 27 years.

Roy Helser
Having never played high school sports, Helser stepped onto thefootball and baseball fields and basketball courts and found hisplace.

Known as "Lefty," southpaw Helser went on to a 14-year professionalbaseball career with the Cincinnati Reds and later with the PortlandBeavers.

As a coach, he led the 1966 baseball team to its first national championship.He succeeded in turning an unsuccessful team into a perennialconference champion, Sports Information Director Kelly Bird said.

"He was revered by his players," Carnahan said.

To honor his contributions, especially to the baseball program,Linfield named the field after Roy Helser in 1973, the year he retiredfrom his position as athletic director. Helser died in 1994.

Paul Durham
A classmate of Helser's, Paul Durham was a triple-sport athlete,excelling in football, basketball and track.

Competing in the 1930s, he was one of the few Wildcats in history toearn 10 or more letters.

Just a decade after graduating, he returned as the football coach.Durham is credited with starting the winning-seasons record of thefootball team, which now stands at 52 seasons.

He was soon promoted to athletic director. But he didn't let thedemands of the job keep him from doing everything—Durham alsomoonlighted as the sports editor of the McMinnville News-Register forseveral years.

Durham left his position at Linfield to become athletic director atthe University of Hawaii.

He died in 2007. The foyer adjacent to the trophy case in the HHPAcomplex commemorates his contributions to the program.

Hal Smith
If anyone could be in three places at once, it was Hal Smith.

In his 31-year career at Linfield, Smith served as head coach of crosscountry, track and wrestling teams, as well as serving as a professorof physical education and the college intramural director.

His pleasant demeanor prompted the students to nickname him "Happy Hal." In honor of Smith, the fitness center in the HHPA complex isnamed after him.

Several other places around campus feature prominent names as a resultof generous donations.

Maxwell Field is named after the Maxwell family. They donated the land in the 1920s when the college decided to move the field from where Melrose Hall now stands, to its current location.

The Jim Wright Stadium on Helser Field sports the name of a benefactorwho greatly contributed to the construction of the stadium.

All of these men shared a deep respect for Linfield athletics and allof the students who played for them.

They are held in high esteem by the students and alumni of Linfield,Carnahan said.

As a student in the late sixties, Carnahan knew Wilson, Helser and Rutschman.

"They are all models of what we try to emulate," Carnahan said. "Theyare all classy gentlemen; they all did things the right way."