The Caldwell Field House

TigerBlog had just finished his workout routine and was back in Caldwell Field House, ready to take a shower.

If you've ever been in Caldwell, there's a door to the left, as you walk into the main part of the men's locker room, that leads into a coaches' area. That's where TB's locker is.

There's also a shower room in that area, and that's where TB has been showering for years now.

Yesterday he put his towel on the hook and went to turn on the water, only to learn that there were no shower heads on the showers anymore. There is the big shower room in Caldwell, so that's where TB had to go.

The walls of Caldwell used to be lined with old football pictures. Most of them were celebration shots within the field house itself, after big wins. All of the pictures were black and white.

Some had players with cigars in postgame victory. Most of the pictures featured players whose uniforms were covered in mud and grass stains, things that you don't seen much anyway, what with most everyone on synthetic grass.

TigerBlog thought of those pictures yesterday when he was in the locker room, which is odd, since he's in the locker room basically every day. Why all of this popped into his mind yesterday of all days he has no idea.

Still, it's all very fascinating.

Charles W. Caldwell Jr. was a 1925 Princeton grad and a member of the famous 1922 "Team of Destiny," the one whose motto was "A Team That Won't Be Beaten Can't Be Beaten." He then coached at Williams College before coming back to coach his alma mater, which he did from 1945 through 1957, when he passed away. As an undergraduate, he also was a baseball pitcher, and TigerBlog is pretty sure that he pitched at some point for the Yankees.

Caldwell is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He coached Princeton to its longest winning streak ever, a 24-game run from 1949 through 1952, and among the players he coached was Dick Kazmaier, the 1951 Heisman Trophy winner.

The field house that bears his name opened in 1963. It was built a short walk from Palmer Stadium, the football stadium at the time.

TigerBlog has spent more than his share of time in Caldwell. He's seen football players live in the field house itself during preseason practice. He's gone to any number of postgame press conferences there, in football, basketball and lacrosse. He laughed out loud at the words of wisdom that came out of the mouth of longtime equipment manager Hank Towns.

And, of course, he's had his locker there for years.

For some reason, yesterday was the first time he ever really considered a few things about the building that his office window has faced for more than 20 years.

First, there's the history of the place. How many athletes have called its lockerrooms home, for both men and women? How many great celebrations have taken place there? How many silent nights have been spent there as teams quietly showered and left after tough losses?

The answer to all of those questions is "a lot."

Then there was the other thought that TB had yesterday.

If Caldwell Field House was built in 1963 and Palmer Stadium was built in 1914, where did the football team dress for all those years?

Palmer Stadium did not have showers. That, TB assumes, is why the need for Caldwell existed in the first place.

When Caldwell was built, Jadwin Gym didn't exist. It wouldn't for another six years. What was there in the meantime? A big open space?

Anyway, TigerBlog assumed that the Armory building, which used to sit where the chemistry building is now, had showers and locker rooms.

To be sure, he asked John McPhee, whose father was the Princeton team physician and who literally grew up around Princeton football. As it turned out, TigerBlog was wrong.

According to Mr. McPhee, the football team had locker rooms in the University Field House. This created more questions than answers, as TB isn't sure where that was. If it was the University Gymnasium, then it was destroyed by fire in 1944.

Anyway, TB replied to Mr. McPhee with his questions. He'll let you know the answers.

In the meantime, the Caldwell Field House is more than just the building between Jadwin and the football stadium and track. It's more than just a place to get showered and dressed after working out.

It's a huge part of the history of Princeton Athletics.

So, too, is its namesake.