McCully Stadium is the longtime home of Wheaton football and track and field. Previously known as New Lawson Field, the field was renamed McCully Field in 1956, when a concrete grandstand with a seating capacity of 4,100 was added. The facility became known as McCully Stadium in 2006 to reflect the addition of lights, a new playing surface for football and a newly re-surfaced synthetic track around the playing field.
The stadium was named in honor of former Wheaton College football team captain Ed McCully ‘49 as a tribute to his extraordinary bravery in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. McCully and Wheaton classmate Jim Elliot ‘49 served as missionaries in the rainforest of Ecuador. God called them, together with Nate Saint ’50, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming, to the Waorani, a people who had never heard the gospel message. Known for their violence, they were among the most feared indigenous people groups in South America at the time. On January 3, 1956, pilot Nate Saint landed a plane on a narrow strip of beach in Waorani territory. The men built a treehouse, awaiting ground contact with the Waorani. On January 8th, two days after an initial peaceful encounter, the Waorani returned and attacked the men with spears killing all five. By the grace of God the story did not end there. Inviting members of the men’s families to live with them, the Waorani responded to the gospel and put down their spears.
In 2004 McCully Stadium received a new playing surface, as state-of-the-art artificial grass from FieldTurf was installed. In the fall of 2005 lights were added to further improve the facility for games and practices and the track around the playing field was also resurfaced at that time. The stadium provides seating for approximately 4,000 fans. A concession area, restrooms and team meeting rooms are located under the grandstand.
Crowning the home grandstand is a pressbox facility. The facility includes two radio booths and seating for media, statisticians and other support staff
Coaches and video personnel from each team can witness the game from the privacy of enclosed booths, located on each side of the pressbox.
MCCULLY STADIUM PHOTO GALLERY
