Francis Olympic Field

Washington University’s Francis Olympic Field was built in 1902 and hosted the 1904 Olympic Games. The venue currently seats around 4,000 spectators who attend Washington University events and the university's football, soccer, and track and field teams utilize the historic field for practices and games. Francis Field and the accompanying Francis Gymnasium are U.S. National Landmarks and named in honor of David R. Francis, a former Missouri Governor and the president of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

Francis Olympic Field was built in 1904 for the Third Olympic Games. This was the first international Olympic Games held in the Western Hemisphere. The Games were held during the World’s Fair which also took place in St. Louis. The four-and-a-half month-long competition included eighteen events. Boxing, freestyle wrestling, decathlon, and dumbbells were added to the event list at the 1904 Games. This was also the first Games to use bronze, silver, and gold medals for third through first-place winners. Many fairgoers would stop by to witness Olympic competitions while taking in other attractions of the fair. Francis Field was used for several track and field events during the Olympics. 

Francis Olympic Field and its accompanying gymnasium are named after David R. Francis, a former Missouri Governor and the president of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. David Francis played a major role in bringing the 1904 Olympic Games to St. Louis. The field was constructed in 1902 on the west end of Washington University’s Danforth Campus. In 1904, the field featured a third-of-a-mile track that was used until the early 1980s. Francis Field’s permanent concrete bleachers demonstrated one of the first uses of reinforced concrete technology. Both Francis Olympic Field and Francis Gymnasium are considered U.S. National Historic Landmarks. 

 The field went under several renovations in 1984, 2003, and 2004. The school made several improvements to the field and the surrounding area. Francis Olympic Field now utilizes field turf and has an artificial track. The Washington University Athletics uses the field for football, track, and soccer teams. The field is also used for several public events such as presidential debates and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. 

Ioc. “St. Louis 1904 Summer Olympics - Athletes, Medals & Results.” Olympics.com, 3 June 2021, https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/st-louis-1904. 

WashU. “Francis Olympic Field.” WUSTL Athletics, 2017, https://www.washubears.com/facilities/francis-olympic-field. 

WashU. “Francis Olympic Field and Bushyhead Track.” Student Recreation , 13 Apr. 2022, https://students.wustl.edu/francis-field-bushyhead-track/.