Thank You H.O Roberts For Getting Roberts Stadium Built

(photo courtesy of the Evansville Courier & Press: http://www.courierpress.com/photos/galleries/2007/sep/30/roberts-stadium-build-or-renovate/2313/)

Through this whole debate of what to do with Roberts Stadium, I think it is very important not to forget the man who fought hard to get Roberts Stadium built so that we may enjoy this great historic building today. That man is H.O Roberts. In 1954, under Mayor H.O. Roberts, the city purchased from the state 56.88 acres at a cost of $88,086.50 with the expressed purpose of building a sports arena. Construction of the stadium was completed in 1956.

Yes, there has been a major renovation of Robert Stadium in 1990 and 1991 (that was done by Ralph Legeman who I will be talking about in a future post), but the steel roof, most of the bricks, and the soul of this great venue still stands today.

The following article, which was written by Evansville Living, tells us more about the great work that H.O Roberts put in to make sure that this venue was built.

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http://www.evansvilleliving.com/articles/hanks-tank

Hank’s Tank
by Louis La Plante / photos by Willard Library Archives Share

One year from now, the new stadium is expected to open Downtown — much to the chagrin of a vocal opposition, a few of whom dubbed the yet-unnamed project “The John” after Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, a major arena supporter. The 54-year-old Roberts Stadium, so beloved today, wasn’t well received when it first opened.

In the 1950s, the neon exterior sign for the arena with more than 10,000 seats simply said, “Stadium.” Disgruntled opponents nicknamed the new facility after the stadium’s biggest supporter, then-Mayor H.O. “Hank” Roberts, calling it “Hank’s Tank.”

Four years after the stadium opened, the next mayor, Frank McDonald, a Democrat, praised Roberts, a Republican, during an intermission of a local college basketball game in Hank’s Tank. McDonald acknowledged Roberts’ courage to build and proclaimed the unnamed venue Roberts Stadium. In attendance were 6,000 people, and as a newspaper article the next day claimed, those attendees came to see a basketball game but “cheered the loudest for a politician.”

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The most important thing to remember here is that H.O Roberts ended up losing the next election after the construction of Roberts Stadium. Although I'm not proud of Evansville's track record with politicians who fight to build sports venues, I am extremely proud of the dedication, determination, and passion H.O displayed by throwing his whole political career under the bus if it meant that Roberts Stadium would get built.

The great sacrifices that H.O made for Roberts Stadium are what give me the strength each day to get up and fight for Roberts Stadium no matter how controversial or unpopular that may be with city hall. I can honestly say that I have been here for this stadium even when it looked like the ball fields project was inevitable. It is with great pride that because of you the reader of this blog Roberts Stadium still stands today.

I also want everyone to know how fortunate we are to have 2011 Mayoral candidate Rick Davis. While others at city hall have acted like Roberts Stadium is a thorn in their side, Rick has boldy gone out on a limb to publicly support saving Roberts Stadium. Rick has great respect for the history of Roberts Stadium and the sacrifices that H.O made to ensure that she got built. We would be very honored to have Rick Davis, who is a modern day H.O Roberts, in office where we can be rest assured that Roberts Stadium will shine for many more years.

While it may seem like a never ending struggle to save Roberts Stadium, let us never forget H.O Roberts, who sacrificed his political career, so that Roberts Stadium would one day be built. His sacrifice must never be forgotten and we must elect more officials into office who have his passion.

Thank you H.O Roberts for building Roberts Stadium!


(photo courtesy of the Evansville Courier & Press: http://www.courierpress.com/photos/galleries/2007/sep/30/roberts-stadium-build-or-renovate/2313/)