The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2016 ■ 27 50 1966 2016 Brown of Raleigh, C.M. Vanstory of Greens- boro, and T.W. Church of Charlotte. While Martin never attended NC State, the Enoree, S.C., native owned North Caro- lina's only and the country's largest Gen- eral Electric distributorship and became known as "Mr. Wolfpack" for his various efforts to help the college's engineering school. He could be a bit eccentric, accord- ing to Bryant, who always reserved the most season football tickets every year for Walker. He also knew how to ask people for money, something needed to raise the $3.7 million necessary to build the stadium. "He was the hidden gem of the entire process," Bryant noted. "He was a great arm twister who got all the big wheels in the community involved in paying for the new stadium." Martin encouraged brothers Harry and Nick Carter, a pair of executives with the J.P. Stevens textile conglomerate and both NC State alumni, to make the first gift of $200,000 to jumpstart the project and put their name on the stadium. It was the only significant contribution the brothers ever made to athletics. He worked with director of athletics Roy Clogston to acquire a 40-year, $1.5 million bond from the city of Raleigh to finance the remaining portion of the stadium. Edwards' success on the field and the generosity of fans helped pay off the bond some 26 years early. The note on the bonds — which required that all revenue generated from football, the athletics department's biggest source of income, would be used for debt service — were burned on a charcoal grill on Sept. 9, 1978, while Chancellor Joab Thomas, Casey and others celebrated. "Paying off that bond was not a problem at all," Bryant said. Wooten and his staff were in charge of the stadium's design, while G. Milton Small and Associates were used as the architec- tural consultants, and Charles Kahn, a dis- tinguished professor at the NC State School of Design, served as the structural design consultant and produced the bulk of the structural design construction drawings. About 300,000 cubic yards of dirt were removed from the site. Then concrete slabs and support beams quickly arrived at the lo- cation of the old pond and were put together on site. The unique double-tiered grand- stands on the east and west sides required a total of 25,000 tons of concrete, supported by 1,350 tons of steel. Seating capacity was originally listed at just more than 40,000. "The site … has reverberated a throaty roar of construction," said the dedication program. Less than 10 months before construction was completed, Raleigh philanthropist A.E. Finley and Associates gave $290,000 to fi- nance a field house in the north end zone, with locker room facilities for two 55-player teams. It took just 22 months to complete the stadium and the field house. "I remember so many times that Wil- lis and I would go out there at lunchtime and watch them put the stadium together," Bryant recalled. "It was an amazing thing to watch. They pre-fabbed every piece off- site and brought it there to erect it. That is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. "You'd go out there one day and see one little section up, and you go out two days later and half the stadium was up. I still marvel at how fast and completely accurate they were in putting it up. It was supreme teamwork." The final prod- uct — described as a "sleek, 20th-cen- tury stadium of rare beauty and func- tionalism, on a site that will be pro- tected and grow in beauty in the years ahead" — ended up being so lovely and bucolic it was once featured on the cover of Southern Living magazine. UPDATING A MODERN MARVEL In the early years, Carter Stadium was rarely filled to capacity. The first season attracted an average attendance of just 25,500. Fans needed some time to adjust to the new location and traffic patterns, and to establish tailgating traditions. It wasn't until Lou Holtz arrived in 1972 that the stadium was regularly full. BOBBY PURCELL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WOLFPACK CLUB Bobby Purcell has been a part of NC State athletics since 1981, including as the award-winning executive director of the Wolfpack Club since 1991. He began as a part-time graduate assistant coach before becoming a full-time assistant in 1983. Four years later he became part of the Wolfpack Club. "It is hard for me to pick a most memorable time at Carter-Finley because there have been so many exceptional and exciting things that have happened, and I have been able to be a part of so many of them. "One though that really stands out as one of my favorites was 1986 in Dick Sheridan's first year. Clemson was the dominant team under Danny Ford in the ACC at that time and nationally ranked. They came into Carter-Finley for a nationally televised game with Brent Musburger calling the game. "It was a rainy night, and Clemson was a big favorite. Our receiver, Haywood Jeffires, ran a reverse 62 yards right in front of Coach Ford and the Clemson sideline for a touchdown. "Haywood was the type that ran as fast as you needed him to run, and he even told me that once. He just outran everybody on Clemson on that field, and that sealed the win for us. "I think that play set the tone for the Dick Sheridan-era, which was extremely successful. It would be hard for me to say that was the greatest moment in Carter-Finley, but it was one of my favorites." CARTER-FINLEY MEMORIES