This spring, along with the shock of melted snow, the Oberlin campus will greet another adjustment to its landscape: the addition of a two million dollar track and field, lacrosse and soccer facility. This past week, the Oberlin College Board of Trustees approved its construction to commence in 2006.

The two donors and alums that will make this project possible are Robert Kahn, OC ’55, and Dick Bailey, OC ’51. Kahn is providing over half of the gift and Bailey will pick up the rest of the expenses. Kahn is an investment manager in New York. Bailey, who is a retired consultant in Houston, also donated the lead gift for the rock wall in Philips. Incidentally, Bailey House is named after the donor’s father, Walter King Bailey.

“As students here in the 1950s, they were both superb athletes,” said Oberlin College President Nancy Dye. Kahn is specifically known for having been a phenomenal tennis player who never lost a match at Oberlin, as well as being a track and cross country runner. According to Ernie Iseminger, the vice president of development and alumni affairs, he’s continued to be a track enthusiast at Oberlin.

“He has been very generous,” Iseminger said.

Kahn originally wanted to remain anonymous, but later decided to go public with his donation. The track will be named Robert Kahn Track while the soccer and lacrosse field will be named Shults field after longtime Oberlin coach Fred Shults.

“Like many of our alumni, each [donor] is particularly desirous of seeing Oberlin build an excellent Division III athletic program,” said Dye.

This project is not based on a new idea. Upon his arrival three years ago, former athletic director Vin Lananna, quickly took an assessment of which athletic facilities needed refurbishing. He concluded that a new outdoor track was absolutely necessary.

“Our outdoor track is seriously outdated,” said Dye.“It is badly worn and is not regulation size, so we cannot host meets on it.”

Instead of simply restoring the current track, the collaborating team of Lananna, the Board of Trustees and the Office of Development agreed that a separate facility should be built.

“It serves a number of constituents,” said Joe Karlgaard, the interim athletic director. “Its most obvious impact is on six varsity sports: men’s and women’s soccer, lacrosse and track.”

Karlgaard did note that, although the new facility will have the capabilities of serving all six sports, game schedules make it uncertain whether or not it will do so all at once.

The new complex will be built where the current soccer field is located.

“This will create a game day atmosphere for more of our sports teams,” said Karlgaard.

Those involved in the project also looked at its broader potential.

“We want to continue to have Oberlin as a destination point for high schools and colleges,” said Iseminger.

Connected to this goal is the aim of being able to host meets at the conference and national level. For example, hosting the NCAA first round for field hockey — a goal cited by Iseminger — is now a possibility with the new facility.

“This sends a strong message not only to students but to alumni of all ages about Oberlin’s institutional commitment to athletics,” concluded Iseminger.