Washington College Magazine
New Stadium Construction Begins
The man responsible for bringing NFL football back to Baltimore with the promise of a new stadium also had a hand in bringing a little more green to Chestertown. Thanks in part to John A. Moag Jr., the former chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, a 1977 graduate and a member of the College's Board of Visitors and Governors, Washington College's student-athletes will play on a perpetually green playing surface known as field turf.
Moag, the chairman and CEO of Moag and Company, a sports, media and entertainment investment banking firm, used his contacts in the sporting industry to get the College a good deal on the playing surface.
Breaking ground for the new Roy Kirby Jr. Stadium are: John Timken '03, Jay Griswold, Roy Kirby Jr., Dicky Grieves '83, Pat Kirby, Ed Nordberg '82, President Baird Tipson, Allison Kirby, Brooke Kirby and John Moag '77.
Click to enlarge picture.
It was just the impetus needed to lure the real green—gifts totaling more than $2.4 million—required to build a brick stadium complex to surround that playing surface.
The field is built upon layers of stone and sand, and then covered with a permeable, grass-like surface that is sprinkled with a layering of sand and round rubber pellets that provide some "give."
The stadium project leadership committee—including Dicky Grieves '83 as chair, Board Chairman Jay Griswold, Bryan Matthews '75, John Timken '03, Susannah Wittich '90 and Moag—asked former student-athletes to support the project. John Timken '03, one of the Shoremen's top defensive midfielders, and his family made the initial gift. And more than 200 other alumni contributed to the effort. But a late fourth-quarter shot from a Chestertown man scored the winning goal. Roy Kirby Jr. pledged $500,000 to the project—enough to see his name emblazoned on the new stadium.
When cost estimates overran the projected budget, project planners began considering how to cut costs by scaling back the project.
Roy Kirby Jr., a builder who owns and resides in historic Widehall on the Chester River, is not one to cut corners. His gift assures that the stadium will be built as it was initially envisioned, with seating for 1,500 spectators, a meeting room, locker rooms, restroom facilities, a concession area, and generous landscaping. Led by Tom Crouse '59, alumni also have raised money to name the surrounding track in honor of Don Chatellier, who coached the track team for many years.
"Bryan Matthews was adept in his ability to convey the need for this facility and the strong impact it will have on the College's campus and future," Kirby remarked at the groundbreaking in early September. "I feel very fortunate to be able to do what America affords us to do."
He tossed the first shovel of dirt with the help of his sister, Pat Kirby, who has taught criminology at Washington College, and his two daughters, Allison and Brooke.
The new stadium at Kibler Field is expected to enhance the College's competitive edge in student recruitment. It also promises to become a favorite gathering spot for alumni, parent and community events.
Construction began in earnest in September. The field is expected to be completed by the end of November, with the stadium slated for completion in April. Follow construction progress via the Web at www.washcoll.edu.
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