A century ago, the Rose Hill Gymnasium at Fordham University opened its doors for the first time. The gym’s first athletic contest was a basketball game between Fordham and Boston College on Jan. 16, 1925. The defeat of the Eagles by the Rams marked the start of a 100-year-long legacy of athletic excellence in the Rose Hill Gymnasium.
Architect Emile G. Perrot designed the stone gymnasium that adorns the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. Named by ESPN to be one of the “Cathedrals of College Basketball,” the Rose Hill Gym stuns with its collegiate gothic-style cathedral ceilings and clerestory windows.
Along with its impressive historic architecture, the Rose Hill Gym is the oldest on-campus gymnasium that still actively hosts Division 1 play, according to the NCAA.
Nicknamed “The Prairie,” the gymnasium has seen many notable alumni walk through its doors. From Edward Collin, the first Fordham men’s basketball player to score more than 40 points in a game, to Anne Gregory, who is still the school’s all-time leader in scoring and rebounding.
According to the NCAA, the Rose Hill Gym is the oldest on-campus gymnasium that still actively hosts Division 1 play
For these student athletes, the Rose Hill Gym is an incredibly special place, especially those on Fordham’s women’s and men’s basketball teams; the university’s volleyball team also has the privilege of both practicing and playing in the gym.
For the women’s basketball Head Coach, Bridgette Mitchell, being able to both practice and play in a historic gym is a pleasure.
“We think that it’s really amazing to be a part of such a historic venue. We come in every day and we’re coming to work but at a historic site, so we’re still in awe every day. We appreciate greatly those that came before us, to pave the way and make this opportunity that we have so appealing,” Mitchell said.
Since opening its doors in 1925, the Rose Hill Gym has only missed one season of athletic play. This pause was during 1943, when the Rose Hill Gym served as U.S. Army barracks, sheltering soldiers during World War II.
In commemoration of the university’s wartime sacrifice and to pay homage to all those who lost their lives during WWII, Fordham was awarded a naval bell by U.S. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. During the University’s centennial celebration in 1946, former President Harry Truman became the first person to ring the Victory Bell on Fordham’s campus.
Today, the naval bell stands outside the historic Rose Hill Gym, becoming a symbol for athletic achievement as Fordham Athletic Teams ring it after major home wins.
The Rose Hill Gym serves as a stage for athletic excellence and has seen its fair share of exceptional musical performances. Since the 1960s, Fordham University has held numerous concerts for the student body in the Rose Hill Gym. The Beach Boys in 1966, Gladys Knight and the Pips who opened for The Supremes in 1967, and Billy Idol in 1983 are just a few of the star-studded performances that have graced the Rose Hill Gym.
The cumulation of events and people that have passed through the Rose Hill Gymnasium since 1925 all belong to its historic legacy.
For Head Coach Mitchell, one of the reasons she took a coaching position at Fordham is this legacy built by the university’s community over the years. She emphasized her hope to continue to grow that legacy every day through her work at the Fordham Athletics program.
“I wouldn’t be interested in being the head coach at Fordham if it wasn’t for all the success that happened in Rose Hill Gymnasium prior to me getting here,” Mitchell said.
“So we’re just really excited about the opportunity that we have to make our mark in the history books of Rose Hill.”
