1991
Haas Athletic Center
Haas Athletic Center was completed in 1991, replacing Clark Recreation Center.
The product of a $4 million gift from Walter and Evelyn Haas, it was named for Evelyn, who told Wheaton’s Alumnae Magazine:
It was a mind-boggler. I couldn’t take it all in for a while. The center is going to make a difference in the spirit on campus, and in the college’s admission of men and women… As an individual, succeeding at a sport gives you a feeling of fulfillment. Sports are also a way to share something, to meet others. The more we read, the more we realize how important recreation and staying fit are for your whole life. The center will get students started, if they aren’t already, on the road to good health.”
Simpson, S. (1991). “Good Causes and the Great Outdoors.” Alumnae Magazine, p.11-12.
The gymnasium in the Haas Athletic Center was named in honor of president Alice F. Emerson upon her retirement from Wheaton. The natatorium was named for the Balfour family. The field house is named for Anson McCook Beard, Jr. and his wife, Jean Jones Beard 1965.