Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Dedicates Transformational Martin Stadium & Hutcheson Field
9/20/2016 1:17:00 PM | Football, General, Men's Soccer, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer
By Skip Myslenski
NUsports.com Special Contributor
This was an occasion for celebration, this ceremony late on Friday afternoon, and the setting itself screamed out why the moment was so special. The sky, Carolina blue dappled with clouds, hung grandly high above. The trees, all green, rippled gently in the soft breeze. The lake, a terrible force when aroused, here gently licked the rocks, and there to the south loomed the Chicago skyline in all its majestic splendor.
A stage manager could not have crafted a better backdrop for this day when the 'Cats officially dedicated Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, their home for soccer and lacrosse, and Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field, where their football team now often practices. "It means a ton. It's really game-changing for our program," said Combe Family Head Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller when asked about the improvements to the playpen her team calls home. "We already had the best facility in the country just based on landscape. Now, to have the bells-and-whistles go with it, it's really unbelievable."
And what about playing with a postcard as your backdrop?
"It just makes the experience that much more fun," she avows. "Even for us, we're in the spring and early on you get those cold days. But even on those cold days, you don't mind being out here because it's such a beautiful setting. You just really appreciate the environment that you're in and how special a place Northwestern University is."
"How about this view?" echoes Pat Fitzgerald during his speech at this celebration. "This is just absolutely a picturesque day for two picturesque venues that are changing Northwestern University, Northwestern Athletics, the experience of our student-athletes and obviously the integration of our student body and our student-athletes. This is what it's all about. It's really something spectacular to see."
This was an occasion for celebration, this ceremony late on Friday afternoon, and in attendance were a plethora of personages. There were Fitzgerald and his newly-minted quartet of captains, the receiver Austin Carr ('16) and the corner Matthew Harris ('17), the middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. ('17) and the offensive guard Connor Mahoney ('16). There were Amonte and soccer's Rachel Zampa ('17) and all of her teammates. There were University President Morton Schapiro and the Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips, and there, too, was an alum who had played soccer back when it was a club sport and another who was selected Intramural Athlete of the Year in 1967.
The former was Edward "Chap" Hutcheson, who, along with his wife Ethel, are now the namesakes of the football practice field. Back in his day, the mid-60s, his team got nothing more from the school than jerseys; played its games on Long Field, where there were no concession stands or bathrooms; and attracted audiences comprising fraternity brothers and maybe a girlfriend or two. "When I see this," he says with a sweep of these surroundings, "I'm amazed at how far all sports have come at Northwestern. Things couldn't be better for soccer compared to when I was here."
The latter was J. Landis "Lanny" Martin, who, along with his wife Sharon, are now the namesakes of the soccer/lacrosse stadium. Back in his day, also the mid-60s, he played IM football and basketball and softball, and also began a life-long friendship with Hutcheson. "I wish we could say that we stood here back then and were thinking we want to work hard and create playfields," he said during the ceremonies. "We weren't. We were thinking, 'How do we get down to Rush Street?'"
This was an occasion for celebration, this ceremony late on Friday afternoon, and for some, remembering as well. Lanny and Chap met 52 years ago on the front porch of the Phi Kappa Psi house on Sheridan Road. They both graduated in '68 and ended up in the Army, and then they drifted apart before reconnecting again in Houston. (The Hutchesons still live there. The Martins are now in Denver.) Eventually they would work together, and found a company together, and serve on boards together and—not unimportantly—attend 'Cats bowl games together (they've been to all except the 1949 Rose, when each was only four years old). "We thought perhaps that we were the jinx after nine consecutive losses," Hutcheson says. "So we will forever thank Coach Fitz for that 2013 Gator Bowl (when the 'Cats broke that losing streak with a 34-20 win over Mississippi State)."
But again, they both reiterate, back in the day they did not brainstorm together about an occasion like Friday's. "No. Not at all," says Hutcheson with a laugh.
"I was thinking about getting through class the next day, getting through the social life, getting through the extracurricular activities," says Martin. "That's what was in the front of my mind and most other peoples' minds at that time, I think. But then you get out for a while, and you get to the stage where you're in the position to make a contribution, and you think about what's really important to your life, and it all came back to Northwestern."
Did they decide to make their contributions together?
"Yeah. We pretty much decided to do it together," says Martin. "We had been working together with our other friend, Bob Unger '69, and we decided we wanted to make a major gift to the University. This was a naming opportunity that, for the two of us, was perfect. Right near where we spent all of our time (the Phi Psi house). It's just a couple blocks away. He played soccer. I love athletics. And I love the way our coaches and players represent our university. The athletes are what most people see the most of. Their behavior and their character and the qualities they exhibit really create an image of Northwestern, and it's a wonderful image. Supporting this field was easy."
"I totally agree," Chap Hutcheson concludes. "In fact, I was in Austin when Pat came down for a meeting with various alums in the area—he was recruiting—and he asked me to say a few words about the field and why. I said it was the easiest program in the world to support. They do it the right way. I think this should be the model of how all FBS colleges run their football programs. So it's very easy to contribute to it."
Lanny and Sharon Martin
For more than 30 years, University Trustee Lanny Martin '68,'73 JD, '02 P, '07 P, '08 P and Sharon Martin '02 P, '07 P, '08 P have been among Northwestern's most loyal and generous benefactors. As co-chairs of We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern, the Martins were instrumental in the successful launch of the new lakefront athletics facilities, serving as both leadership donors and active volunteers. In recognition of their support, the renovated lacrosse/soccer field is named Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium.
Lanny and Sharon both serve on the Athletics and Recreation Campaign Committee as well as the Colorado Regional Campaign Committee and are members of the Law Campaign Cabinet. They regularly cheer on the 'Cats both at home and on the road, and have attended numerous Campaign events across the country.
Lanny, a native of Grand Island, Nebraska, received his bachelor of science degree in business from Northwestern and a juris doctor from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Lanny is founder and managing director of Platte River Equity in Denver. Prior to establishing the firm in 2005, he was chief executive officer of Titanium Metals Corporation where he worked for more than 18 years. He also served in the US Army. Lanny was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 2012 and, in 2010, was honored with the Josef Korbel Humanitarian Award for the many significant philanthropic contributions he has made to the Denver community.
Sharon earned her bachelor of arts degree from Denison University, where she currently serves as Life Trustee. She has been a leader in the Denver arts community for more than 30 years and is a member of the Northwestern Women's Board. Sharon and Lanny have three children, Mary Lester; Sarah Stettner '02, '07 JD; and Emily Martin Jones, '08 MD, '11 GME, along with four grandchildren.
Chap and Ethel Hutcheson
University Trustee Edward C. (Chap) Hutcheson, Jr. '68 earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. He and his wife, Ethel, live in Houston and are longtime friends and associates of Lanny and Sharon Martin. Chap and Lanny were fraternity brothers and roommates at Northwestern and have worked together for the past 29 years. Northwestern's new football practice field is named Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field in their honor.
Chap is a managing director of Platte River Equity, where he has worked with Lanny since the firm's founding. He has held senior management positions at publicly owned companies in the oilfield services, telecommunications and financial services industries. Chap co-founded Crown Castle International Corp. in 1995, which is the largest owner and operator of wireless communication sites in the United States. He was the company's founding chairman and chief executive officer and continues to serve as a director. Earlier in his career, Chap was a director of Baroid Corporation, Titanium Metals Corporation and Special Metals Corporation. He served three years as an officer in the US Army.
As Northwestern volunteers, Chap and Ethel both serve on the Athletics and Recreation Campaign Committee. Chap is a member of the Texas Regional Committee for We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern and Ethel is a member of the Northwestern Women's Board. Earlier, Chap served as president of the Northwestern Alumni Club of Houston and chairman of the Houston Alumni Admissions Council. Active in civic life, he is a director of Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve in Blanco, Texas and has served on boards of the Houston Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alley Theater, and the Houston Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. He received the Houston Leukemia Society's Service to Mankind award. The Hutchesons have four grown children and eleven grandchildren.
NUsports.com Special Contributor
This was an occasion for celebration, this ceremony late on Friday afternoon, and the setting itself screamed out why the moment was so special. The sky, Carolina blue dappled with clouds, hung grandly high above. The trees, all green, rippled gently in the soft breeze. The lake, a terrible force when aroused, here gently licked the rocks, and there to the south loomed the Chicago skyline in all its majestic splendor.
A stage manager could not have crafted a better backdrop for this day when the 'Cats officially dedicated Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, their home for soccer and lacrosse, and Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field, where their football team now often practices. "It means a ton. It's really game-changing for our program," said Combe Family Head Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller when asked about the improvements to the playpen her team calls home. "We already had the best facility in the country just based on landscape. Now, to have the bells-and-whistles go with it, it's really unbelievable."
And what about playing with a postcard as your backdrop?
"It just makes the experience that much more fun," she avows. "Even for us, we're in the spring and early on you get those cold days. But even on those cold days, you don't mind being out here because it's such a beautiful setting. You just really appreciate the environment that you're in and how special a place Northwestern University is."
"How about this view?" echoes Pat Fitzgerald during his speech at this celebration. "This is just absolutely a picturesque day for two picturesque venues that are changing Northwestern University, Northwestern Athletics, the experience of our student-athletes and obviously the integration of our student body and our student-athletes. This is what it's all about. It's really something spectacular to see."
••••••
This was an occasion for celebration, this ceremony late on Friday afternoon, and in attendance were a plethora of personages. There were Fitzgerald and his newly-minted quartet of captains, the receiver Austin Carr ('16) and the corner Matthew Harris ('17), the middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. ('17) and the offensive guard Connor Mahoney ('16). There were Amonte and soccer's Rachel Zampa ('17) and all of her teammates. There were University President Morton Schapiro and the Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips, and there, too, was an alum who had played soccer back when it was a club sport and another who was selected Intramural Athlete of the Year in 1967.
The former was Edward "Chap" Hutcheson, who, along with his wife Ethel, are now the namesakes of the football practice field. Back in his day, the mid-60s, his team got nothing more from the school than jerseys; played its games on Long Field, where there were no concession stands or bathrooms; and attracted audiences comprising fraternity brothers and maybe a girlfriend or two. "When I see this," he says with a sweep of these surroundings, "I'm amazed at how far all sports have come at Northwestern. Things couldn't be better for soccer compared to when I was here."
The latter was J. Landis "Lanny" Martin, who, along with his wife Sharon, are now the namesakes of the soccer/lacrosse stadium. Back in his day, also the mid-60s, he played IM football and basketball and softball, and also began a life-long friendship with Hutcheson. "I wish we could say that we stood here back then and were thinking we want to work hard and create playfields," he said during the ceremonies. "We weren't. We were thinking, 'How do we get down to Rush Street?'"
••••••
This was an occasion for celebration, this ceremony late on Friday afternoon, and for some, remembering as well. Lanny and Chap met 52 years ago on the front porch of the Phi Kappa Psi house on Sheridan Road. They both graduated in '68 and ended up in the Army, and then they drifted apart before reconnecting again in Houston. (The Hutchesons still live there. The Martins are now in Denver.) Eventually they would work together, and found a company together, and serve on boards together and—not unimportantly—attend 'Cats bowl games together (they've been to all except the 1949 Rose, when each was only four years old). "We thought perhaps that we were the jinx after nine consecutive losses," Hutcheson says. "So we will forever thank Coach Fitz for that 2013 Gator Bowl (when the 'Cats broke that losing streak with a 34-20 win over Mississippi State)."
But again, they both reiterate, back in the day they did not brainstorm together about an occasion like Friday's. "No. Not at all," says Hutcheson with a laugh.
"I was thinking about getting through class the next day, getting through the social life, getting through the extracurricular activities," says Martin. "That's what was in the front of my mind and most other peoples' minds at that time, I think. But then you get out for a while, and you get to the stage where you're in the position to make a contribution, and you think about what's really important to your life, and it all came back to Northwestern."
Did they decide to make their contributions together?
"Yeah. We pretty much decided to do it together," says Martin. "We had been working together with our other friend, Bob Unger '69, and we decided we wanted to make a major gift to the University. This was a naming opportunity that, for the two of us, was perfect. Right near where we spent all of our time (the Phi Psi house). It's just a couple blocks away. He played soccer. I love athletics. And I love the way our coaches and players represent our university. The athletes are what most people see the most of. Their behavior and their character and the qualities they exhibit really create an image of Northwestern, and it's a wonderful image. Supporting this field was easy."
"I totally agree," Chap Hutcheson concludes. "In fact, I was in Austin when Pat came down for a meeting with various alums in the area—he was recruiting—and he asked me to say a few words about the field and why. I said it was the easiest program in the world to support. They do it the right way. I think this should be the model of how all FBS colleges run their football programs. So it's very easy to contribute to it."
••••••
Lanny and Sharon Martin
For more than 30 years, University Trustee Lanny Martin '68,'73 JD, '02 P, '07 P, '08 P and Sharon Martin '02 P, '07 P, '08 P have been among Northwestern's most loyal and generous benefactors. As co-chairs of We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern, the Martins were instrumental in the successful launch of the new lakefront athletics facilities, serving as both leadership donors and active volunteers. In recognition of their support, the renovated lacrosse/soccer field is named Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium.
Lanny and Sharon both serve on the Athletics and Recreation Campaign Committee as well as the Colorado Regional Campaign Committee and are members of the Law Campaign Cabinet. They regularly cheer on the 'Cats both at home and on the road, and have attended numerous Campaign events across the country.
Lanny, a native of Grand Island, Nebraska, received his bachelor of science degree in business from Northwestern and a juris doctor from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Lanny is founder and managing director of Platte River Equity in Denver. Prior to establishing the firm in 2005, he was chief executive officer of Titanium Metals Corporation where he worked for more than 18 years. He also served in the US Army. Lanny was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 2012 and, in 2010, was honored with the Josef Korbel Humanitarian Award for the many significant philanthropic contributions he has made to the Denver community.
Sharon earned her bachelor of arts degree from Denison University, where she currently serves as Life Trustee. She has been a leader in the Denver arts community for more than 30 years and is a member of the Northwestern Women's Board. Sharon and Lanny have three children, Mary Lester; Sarah Stettner '02, '07 JD; and Emily Martin Jones, '08 MD, '11 GME, along with four grandchildren.
Chap and Ethel Hutcheson
University Trustee Edward C. (Chap) Hutcheson, Jr. '68 earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. He and his wife, Ethel, live in Houston and are longtime friends and associates of Lanny and Sharon Martin. Chap and Lanny were fraternity brothers and roommates at Northwestern and have worked together for the past 29 years. Northwestern's new football practice field is named Chap and Ethel Hutcheson Field in their honor.
Chap is a managing director of Platte River Equity, where he has worked with Lanny since the firm's founding. He has held senior management positions at publicly owned companies in the oilfield services, telecommunications and financial services industries. Chap co-founded Crown Castle International Corp. in 1995, which is the largest owner and operator of wireless communication sites in the United States. He was the company's founding chairman and chief executive officer and continues to serve as a director. Earlier in his career, Chap was a director of Baroid Corporation, Titanium Metals Corporation and Special Metals Corporation. He served three years as an officer in the US Army.
As Northwestern volunteers, Chap and Ethel both serve on the Athletics and Recreation Campaign Committee. Chap is a member of the Texas Regional Committee for We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern and Ethel is a member of the Northwestern Women's Board. Earlier, Chap served as president of the Northwestern Alumni Club of Houston and chairman of the Houston Alumni Admissions Council. Active in civic life, he is a director of Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve in Blanco, Texas and has served on boards of the Houston Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alley Theater, and the Houston Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. He received the Houston Leukemia Society's Service to Mankind award. The Hutchesons have four grown children and eleven grandchildren.
••••••
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