Edwards Stadium (also referred to as Edwards Field) is the

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

and soccer venue for the California Golden Bears, the athletic teams of the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. This

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

-styled stadium was designed by architects Warren C. Perry and George W. Kelham, and opened in 1932. It was named for mathematics professor

George C. Edwards George Clayton Edwards (born April 9, 1948) is an American politician who previously served as a member of the Maryland Senate from District 1. Background Edwards was elected as the State Senator for Maryland District 1 in 2006, which covers G ...

(18691930), who had been a member of the university's first graduating class, and was the oldest track-only stadium in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

until 1999, when it was reconfigured to accommodate the Cal soccer teams. It is located at 2223 Fulton Street on the southwest corner of the Berkeley campus, at the corner of Bancroft Way, and has a seating capacity of 22,000. From the stadium there are panoramic views of the

Berkeley Hills The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges that overlook the northeast side of the valley that encompasses San Francisco Bay. They were previously called the "Contra Costa Range/Hills" (from the original Spanish ''Sierra de la ...

and Strawberry Canyon to the east, and the San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

skyline to the west. An invitational Cal Bears track meet is held annually at Edwards Stadium. It was renamed the Brutus Hamilton Memorial Invitational in 1998. The venue also hosted the

NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships The NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Athlete's individual performances earn points for ...

in 1935, 1937, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1965 and 1968. The venue has also has hosted a National AAU championship, and the 1971 and '78 USA vs. USSR dual meets, among others. There have been 12 world records (including records by

Dutch Warmerdam Cornelius "Dutch" Warmerdam (June 22, 1915 – November 13, 2001) was an American pole vaulter who held the world record between 1940 and 1957. He missed the Olympics due to World War II, and retired from senior competitions in 1944, though he co ...

Jim Ryun James Ronald Ryun (born April 29, 1947) is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner. He won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the ...

Pat Matzdorf Patrick Clifford Matzdorf (born December 26, 1949) is an American former high jumper, who set a world record of 2.29 meters (7'-6 1/4") at a World All-Star Track Meet in Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San ...

, and

Henry Rono Henry Rono (born 12 February 1952, in Kapsabet) is a Kenyan retired track and field athlete who specialised in various long-distance running events. Although he never competed at the Olympics, Rono is remembered as one of the most prolific colle ...

), 26 American records and 24 collegiate records set at Edwards. the stadium was in need of both concrete repair and seismic upgrading.Max Cherney
UC Berkeley acts after concrete falls at Edwards Stadium
''Berkeleyside'', July 20, 2016.

References

Art Deco architecture in California College soccer venues in California Sports venues in Berkeley, California Sports venues in the San Francisco Bay Area Athletics (track and field) venues in California College track and field venues in the United States California Golden Bears soccer California Golden Bears track and field University of California, Berkeley buildings Event venues established in 1932 National Register of Historic Places in Berkeley, California Sports venues on the National Register of Historic Places in California {{AlamedaCountyCA-NRHP-stub

See also

References