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Will Storrow Drive one day connect to Jordan Field Road?

By adamg on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 6:41am

The Harvard Crimson reports the U has renamed Soldiers Field as Jordan Field, after an alumnus who has donated a lot of money (for scholarships, not for Another Imposing Building).

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Comments

By anon on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 7:02am.

Money matters more than a century of honoring veterans. Heckuva job h bomb heckuva job.

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By BostonDog on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 7:48am.

Welcome to big money higher education. Also see: big money corporate and big money politics.

Principle always plays second fiddle to cash.

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By Ron Newman on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 10:11am.

Harvard Gazette article on Soldiers Field and its monument

During the Civil War, [Henry Lee] Higginson began his military service as a lieutenant in the 2nd Massachusetts Volunteers and then served as a major in the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry. In 1863, he was badly wounded at the Battle of Aldie with a sabre cut across his face and a pistol bullet at the base of his spine. Though he tried to return to active service, the pain from his wound prevented him from doing so.

When Higginson formally transferred ownership of the 31 acres to Harvard University, it was his hope that the land would become athletic playing fields for the students of Harvard. He emphasized that the gift was without conditions - but he would like the grounds called "The Soldiers Field" and "marked with a stone bearing the names of some dear friends - alumni of the University, and noble gentlemen." Five days later on June 10, 1890, 400 students and graduates heard Higginson's "Soldiers Field" speech.

So, to some extent, Harvard is dishonoring Higginson's memory by renaming the field.

[edited earlier post after finding this]

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By John Costello on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 8:34am.

Way to go Dr. Faust. It was only a matter of time before the school which has $30 Billion in the bank trades its soul for even more filthy lucre.

This name change had to go through some kind of vetting process / committee, right? What were they thinking?

This is an absolutely disgusting move on WGU's part. While we are at it, what kind of asshat would acquiesce to having his name placed over a field named in honor of the people who have defended the country. There is Memorial Hall. That's for the Civil War dead though, and I believe still only Union dead but they may have given into the hillbillies a few years ago on that.

Nice job. I wish a Derek Bok type would come back to the school after the current and previous presidents have shown what low level hucksters they are supposing to be in representing our alleged pinnacle of higher learning.

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By BostonDog on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 8:59am.

This is an absolutely disgusting move on WGU's part. While we are at it, what kind of asshat would acquiesce to having his name placed over a field named in honor of the

The same sort of asshat who thinks giving $5 million to the richest school on the planet is best way to "ensure his legacy".

I'm just surprised Harvard let it go for so cheap. I would have expected a name change to cost at least $50 million.

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By Gary C on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 10:18am.

Seems like it's way more than $5 million, based on the number of students that are currently being supported by his money. I'd guess more like $15m.

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By anon on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 10:16am.

I very strongly suspect that most of the people on this thread had no idea what the field was named before Adam posted this, which makes the level of outrage a little interesting. It's Harvard's field, they can name it what they want in my opinion. Just sayin

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By bgl on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 11:31am.

Did they just move here to not know the field off of Soldier's Field Road was actually, in fact, called Soldier's Field?

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By Gary C on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 10:22am.

Just because an indie band signs to a major label, doesn't mean that they now suck. It just means they like the extra money.

Similarly, if someone wants to put up their money in exchange for having their name on a sign, it's all good. It's totally win-win.

As a graduate of BU's Questrom School of Management, I see no problem with Harvard taking the money to improve their facilities.

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By RhoninFire on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 11:45am.

I don't think (well, almost) anyone has a problem with Harvard taking money to improve their facilities. Just they are renaming a place already named for something - namely veterans. The real distasteful part is someone at Harvard decided to rename - and likely knew, that while it was not required by the original donator, that it was named for a reason already.

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By R Hookup on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 6:13pm.

The soccer/lax stadium was renamed... not the area around it known as "Soldiers FIeld."

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By anon on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 11:52am.

That's where the Chicago Bears play - one of the few stadiums that isn't named for its city or team that I bother to remember only because it's a lot older than I am. Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and that's about it. Harvard Stadium is where Harvard teams play. Soldiers Field is the name of a road. Jordan Field is and will always be a non-entity.

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By adamg on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 12:38pm.

I left the last S off for savings.Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it - unlike my "S" key, which apparently needed an extra hard shove this morning.

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By anon on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 12:13pm.

it's OK to forget the sacrifices made by men who fought in the most bloody war this country has ever engaged. And soldiers, schmoldiers ! Screw this Higginson chump! He's dead! Amirite?!

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By Scumquistador on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 10:16pm.

i agree.

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By R Hookup on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 1:04pm.

They renamed this:

Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium

to Jordan Field.

They can still call all the neighborhood around it "Soldiers Field" if they want to.

And if you look around on Harvard's web site, they say the softball field is Soldiers Field:

http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/sball/facility

They also have a Soldiers Field Park and Solders Field Athletic Area identified on their map. I think the name is safe.

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By Waquiot on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 2:08pm.

As long as they are renaming the soccer field at Soldiers Field, sure. As long as we are all in agreement that the athletic facilities are at Soldiers Field.

I mean, this Jordan guy is funding scholarships, which is cool.

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By mskenny on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 4:58pm.

I believe the Crimson has the story wrong and if you read the official press release at http://gocrimson.com/sports/wsoc/2015-16/releases/20150909_Jordan_Field you can see it's just the new(ish) soccer stadium.

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By bostnkid on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 7:05pm.

they hate when anyone says it. they just consider it boston, they even got their own zip code. it was always allston to me. I sold hot dogs at harvard stadium on soldiers field road in allston when I was a younger lad.

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By anon on Tue, 09/15/2015 - 2:50pm.

Allston is in Boston champ.

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By bostnkid on Tue, 09/15/2015 - 4:27pm.

im aware allston is part of boston. im also aware of the fact that Harvard did not want allston anywhere in its address. they list everything as boston. allston is a section of boston right champ? brighton? now thats the suburbs.

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By Ron Newman on Tue, 09/15/2015 - 6:03pm.

(so, WGBH didn't use "Allston" either)

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By bostnkid on Wed, 09/16/2015 - 2:03pm.

02163 is the Harvard Business School zip code, which is located in basically the same place as the old WGBH building.

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