WHITING FIELD HOUSE
FACT SHEET
LOCATION: Whiting Field House is located in Topeka , Kan. on the campus of Washburn University .
HISTORY: Whiting Field House was opened on December 18, 1928 in Topeka , Kansas . The field house was dedicated during a basketball game between the University of Kansas and Washburn College . Originally, Whiting was referred to as The New Fieldhouse or Washburn Fieldhouse because it was not given its name until June 1, 1930, when it was named after Albe Burge Whiting. Whiting was used as Washburn’s home basketball court for 56 years, from 1928 until 1984.
In 1984 Petro Allied Health Center, costing $5.8 million, was built. Inside was Lee Arena, the new home court for Washburn athletics. Whiting became a practice gym for all of the athletics at Washburn, as well as used for physical education classes. In May 2008, a $7 million renovation began and was completed in August 2009.
THE BUILDING: Whiting Fieldhouse cost approximately $185,000 to build. It was constructed with native Kansas stone and cut stone trimming. Whiting stands three stories in height. It was designed to seat 5,500 people for basketball games. Whiting is 131 feet by 196 feet. It was also designed to hold concerts and stage performances on the built in stage on the south end that is 45 feet across. In the basement of the field house there was a swimming pool, which was the largest indoor pool in Topeka at the time. Whiting Field House was designed by Thomas W. Williamson who would later draw up the plans for Topeka High.
After the renovation in August 2009, Whiting Field House was split into two levels. The top level is a brand new practice basketball and volleyball court. The lower-level is a 9,258-square foot weight and conditioning room. In addition, the renovation included new locker rooms for every team and 18 new offices, a seminar room and an 80-seat classroom. The weight room is filled with $500,000 worth of state-of-the-art equipment. In the north entrance of Whiting, a 1,852-square foot area for new trophy cases and a hall of fame was added.
A.B. WHITING: Albe Burge Whiting served 50 years on the Washburn Board of Trustees. He moved to Washburn in 1877 to get his four daughters a better education at Washburn College . He created a project called the Mount Hope Cemetery project as a 1,000-year endowment trust in which no individual received any money. Half of the money was donated to Washburn and the other half was donated to the YMCA and YWCA. Whiting was one of Washburn’s greatest benefactors.