Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 25, 1915, Iowa State University hosted the first football game at Clyde Williams Field (then State Field). Home of the Cyclones until 1975, the venue hosted many historic moments in Iowa State football history.
Built just south of the newly opened State Gym starting in 1914, the original stadium held 5,000 fans. Over the years, renovations provided additional room for die-hard Cyclones looking to support their team. Expanded in 1925, 1930, 1932, 1961, and 1966, the stadium eventually grew to seat 35,000 spectators.
In October 1938, the university renamed the stadium to honor Iowa State coach and athletic director Clyde Williams, who had passed away earlier in the year. The Shelby, Iowa-native started his career as the quarterback for the Hawkeyes. A third-team All-American in 1900, Williams became the first player west of the Mississippi to earn the honor. Williams coached football, basketball, and baseball at Iowa State from 1906-1918 and added athletic director to his resume from 1914-1919.
For decades, fans filed into the stadium located at Sheldon Avenue south of West Gate before the rise of Cyclone Stadium (eventually Jack Trice) offered a new home for Cyclone football. Razed in 1978, the physical location eventually came to house Eaton Hall and Martin Hall on today’s Iowa State campus. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
