Memorial Stadium celebrated its Golden Anniversary in style on Sept. 23, as the Lions defeated the Midwestern State Indians 27-10 on the exact date the facility opened 50 years ago.The stadium opened and on Sept. 23, 1950, was dedi-cated to the 78 former students who died in World War II. A ceremony featuring “Golden Taps” was presented prior to the game, and five members of the 1950 Lions that played the opening game were honored.

Following the game and postgame band performance, the anniversary was celebrated with a spectacular fireworks show at the stadium. Memorial Stadium began as a project of the Ex-Students Association in the fall of 1945. The ESA and friends of the University raised a portion of the funds before a state appropriation was received for the rest of the $300,000 to build the facility. Construction on the facility was started in the fall of 1949 and work continued fast and furious to have the stadium ready for the start of the 1950 football season. Crews completed the stadium on the morning of Sept. 23, 1950, in time for the opening and dedication that evening. The dedication ceremony featured U.S. Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn and former lieutenant governor Walter Woodul.

CELEBRATING THE 50TH – Five members of the 1950 football team that played the first game in Memorial Stadium were present on Sept. 23 as fans celebrated the structure’s 50th anniversary on the exact date it opened in 1950. Returning were, from the left, Bryant Clark, linebacker; Kenneth Potter, tackle; Robert Crump, tackle; Dub Headrick, back; and Cotton Martin, guard. “They beat the tar out of us,” Clark recalled of the contest against the University of North Texas, lead by future UNT All-American running back and 12-year Cleveland Browns veteran Ray Renfro. UNT beat the Lions, 42-20. The Lion alumni were able to sit back and relax this year as the Lions beat Midwestern State, 27-10.

General Douglas MacArthur, while not in attendance, wrote President James Gee that “I am delighted and honored,” to have his quotation affixed to the plaque honoring the Lions’ fallen comrades. That quote, also chiseled on the stadium at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, is a famous one:

“Upon the fields of friendly strife,
Are sown the seeds that,
Upon other fields, on other days,
Will bear the fruits of victory.”

The Lions met North Texas before 12,000 fans that night, but the Eagles came out on top 42-20. It’s one of the few losses in the stadium for the Blue-and-Gold.A&M-Commerce has amassed a 167-77-8 record, winning 67.9 percent of the time. The Lions have put together winning streaks of 14 and 12 straight games at Memorial Stadium. Some of the greatest highlights in Lion football history have come on her field. The Lions won a share of the 1969 Lone Star Conference Championship with a miraculous pass from James Deitz to George Daskalakes for a touchdown and again for a two-point conversion to beat Stephen F. Austin 36-35.

The Lions celebrated the 1972 NAIA National Championship in front of the home folks, with the fog rolling in on a chilly December afternoon. Texas A&M-Kingsville’s 46-game unbeaten streak crashed in 1977 when Tom Hay split the uprights with an extra-point to win 7-6. Pittsburg State came here in 1991 with 56 consecutive regular season victories. However, the Lions sent the team that would go on to the NCAA Division II championship home with a 20-13 defeat. The stadium is also home to the Lion track and field team. Lion greats from Chuck Holding and Jerry Cook to Agapius Amo and Jackie Alford have performed at Memorial, as have several Olympians from other schools.

The stadium has been altered only slightly over the last five decades. In 1973, aluminum seating, the President’s Box under the Press Box and the T-Lounge at the south end of the stadium were added. A rubberized all-weather track replaced the cinders in 1980. In 1987 a ticket booth was constructed in the main entry. In 1990, the latest scoreboard and electronic message center was added. New light fixtures were put in last year.