Axton Field House - 378 S West St

Named for past great football coach Peter “Dump” Axton, this field house was constructed in 1920, two years after Axton’s untimely death at the wheel of a car. Coach from 1908–1918, Axton brought three championships to the university, and was very active in Arkham civic projects. A saddened alumnus quickly raised the funds and named the structure in his honor. The field house is open from 7 A.M. to 6 P.M., Monday–Friday, and by arrangement other times. All the coaches and staff have keys. Facilities are technically closed to the public, but no one much cares who uses them unless they become rowdy or interrupt classes.

Facilities include classrooms, offices, a pool, squash and handball courts, a basketball court, mats, and gym equipment. Adjacent outdoor facilities include a quarter-mile track with a practice field inside, and two well used clay tennis courts. The baseball team uses the Arkham High School field or the Commons field. The main athletic field, including the football field and bleachers, is a mile and more west of town.

Department of Physical Education

This healthily-endowed department is headed by Mr. Donald Kanum, the director. On the staff are football coach Flip Parkinson, basketball coach Adam Hopkins, gymnastics and fencing coach Henry Cartwright, and Douglas Arthur for track and field. As the seasons progress and one sport eclipses another, head coaches in one sport become assistant coaches in another.

Department of Facilities and Grounds

In a corner of the Field House is the maintenance division of the university, headed by Robert (Bob) Bradbury, 56, a former civil engineer. Bradbury is an easy-going, baldheaded man with a staff of nearly twenty, who clean, paint, clip, hammer, and oil the university’s physical assets. Bradbury also manages the university’s garage, and the athletic field.