Stagg Field

Lore & Background

Chicago Pile-1, the world's first artificial nuclear reactor, was built in a squash court under the west stands of Stagg Field, which was by then no longer used for football. The first man-made self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction occurred on December 2, 1942. A Henry Moore sculpture, Nuclear Energy, in a small quadrangle commemorates the location of the nuclear experiment.

Reader's Guide

The first Stagg Field was a stadium at the University of Chicago in Chicago, located on a block bounded by 57th Street to the south, University Avenue to the east, and Ellis Avenue to the west. It opened in 1893 as Marshall Field, named after Marshall Field who donated land to the university. In 1913, it was renamed Stagg Field after coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. The final capacity was 50,000. The stadium was demolished in 1957, and much of the site was used for Regenstein Library. The current Stagg Field is an athletic field several blocks to the northwest, bounded by 55th Street to the north, 56th Street to the south, Cottage Grove Avenue to the west, and Ellis Avenue to the east. It has a seating capacity of 1,650 and a FieldTurf surface.

Did You Know?

• The first Stagg Field hosted the 1893, 1898, 1913, 1923, and 1933 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
• The University of Michigan fight song 'The Victors' was written in 1898 after a Michigan victory over the University of Chicago at Stagg Field.
• Northwestern played several home games at Stagg Field in 1901, 1904, and 1925.