The Wescott Field improvement project moved $1 million closer to success on Monday.

Tuesday, November 21, 2000

The Wescott Field improvement project moved $1 million closer to success on Monday.

The Hormel Foundation announced the contribution at a news conference Monday afternoon in the Packers Gymnasium lobby at Austin High School.

Richard L. Knowlton, president of the foundation’s board of directors, praised the project’s steering committee for bringing the need to the foundation’s attention.

"It is a real privilege to be a part of a foundation that can help support progress like this," he said.

The project is now at the $2.05 million mark in pledges. Two weeks ago, Hormel Foods Corp. announced a $1 million donation to the project.

The goal is to raise $4.2 million.

Gordon Harder, speaking for the project’s steering committee, said he is "so happy, so overjoyed we are addressing this problem."

The athletic field property was acquired in 1921 as a high school agriculture field. The stadium was built as a Works Progress Administration project in 1938. The last major renovation occurred in 1958.

Through the decades, Wescott Field has seen AHS earn 26 state championship titles, 134 Big Nine conference titles and 217 All-State academic and athletic performances.

Fifteen Minnesota State Hall of Fame coaches tutored teams on the field and 88 AHS student-athletes earned Hall of Fame honors.

In recent years, the pride of AHS and the envy of other schools in the Big Nine conference and across Minnesota has fallen in disrepair.

The Austin Board of Education recognized the need for improvements to return the athletic field to a state-of-the-art, community accessible track-and-field complex.

Monday’s Hormel Foundation pledge moves the project close to the midway mark en route to its goal.

Dr. James A. Hess, Austin superintendent of schools, introduced Hormel Foundation officers and the foundation’s contributions committee, as well as members of the Wescott Field improvement project steering committee.

AHS Principal Joe Brown, activities director Naomi Hatfield and a crew of AHS cheerleaders accepted a symbolic check from Knowlton.

Amy J. Baskin, co-chairwoman of the steering committee, first praised Knowlton for being an "education visionary," when he, as chairman of the board, president and CEO of Hormel Foods, led a major renovation effort of the high school building.

Al Eckmann, former AHS coach and athletic director before retiring and now co-chair of the steering committee, echoed Baskin’s words of appreciation to the foundation for its generosity. Eckmann underlined how the facility will be of benefit to the entire community as well as AHS student-athletes.

David Simonson, like Knowlton, an AHS graduate and now president of the Austin Board of Education, said, "Austin Public Schools is blessed to have the community support such as the Hormel Foundation and Hormel Foods Corp. has demonstrated."

"They have stepped forward in every contingency when Austin Public Schools has needed help," Simonson said.

Hess continued the words of appreciation to the foundation and reminded all "One of the best measures of a society is the condition of its youth."

After the ceremonies, Bruce Huffer, director of buildings and grounds services, observed, "I think we’ve been working on this for about 11 years. I remember walking out there and seeing the grass growing in the running track. Something needed to be done."

Both Simonson and Knowlton recalled how Wescott Field held an important place in the minds of children growing up in Austin.

"The first football game I attended there was in 1964, when I was in the seventh grade," Simonson said. "That was the place to play. When I was a football player and Art Haas was our coach, Wescott Field was the holy land."

Knowlton, now retired from Hormel Foods, said, "How fortunate we were that someone had the vision to build a stadium like that."

He recalled playing football for coach "Red" Hastings and winning a state title as a sophomore and finishing runner-up as a senior and how coach Hastings would only allow his players one practice on the field before the regular high school football season began.

"Our expectations for success rise when we have a good environment," he said. "Bricks and mortar are small matters, when it comes to what takes place inside a school, but it does matter to success in education, the business world and life as well."

Named for former AHS Principal Ray Wescott, now deceased, the improvement project has the endorsement of his widow, Betty Wescott, and her daughters, Ann and Jane.

Mrs. Wescott has said of the project, "This will benefit not only the students, but the entire community. We are positive that Ray would join us in wholeheartedly supporting this effort."

For more information about assisting the improvement project, call Hess at 433-0966.