Fawcett Stadium is named for John A. Fawcett. Mr. Fawcett was a former member of the Canton Board of Education and a well-known athlete. He died of pneumonia at the age of 44, a few years before the stadium was built.
The stadium was built from 1937-1939 at an estimated cost of $500,000. The federal government in the form of man power, the WPA, paid for $400,000 while a school board bond issue paid for the materials.
When the stadium opened in 1938, just the north stands (Hall of Fame side) were completed. When the south stands were completed for the 1939 season and the official dedication of the stadium, Fawcett seated 15,000 and was the largest high school stadium in the country at that time. On the grounds of the facility is a park, aptly named “Stadium Park”. This park still exists although presently is much more disjointed from the stadium as part of the park was used as the site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame an d also because what is left of the park is separated from Fawcett Stadium by Interstate 77.
Fawcett Stadium has steadily grown and gone through renovations. The first major, modern upgrade to the stadium came in 1974 with the construction of the Earl Rehfus press box atop the south stands. What was most likely the largest press box for a high school stadium at the time, it served the public and press for 34 years.
The next major construction, the expansion of the north stands, was completed in time for the 1981 season and has given Fawcett Stadium the footprint we all recognize today, while pushing seating capacity to over 23,000 spectators.
In 1997, Fawcett Stadium underwent a major renovation and a name change. Backed by the Canton community, $ 4.3 million worth of improvements were completed on the stadium. Some of the major improvements included state-of-the-art Astroturf with a player friendly rubber base, new locker room facilities, new scoreboard with graphics display screen, new lighting, new sound system, new electrical services, structural repairs, vinyl caps for all wooden seats, and a renovated press box. The newly renovated stadium was also renamed to include the words Pro Football Hall of Fame Field.
When the Hall of Fame was played as part of Monday Night Football starting in 1998, engineers told ABC Sports, which broadcasts the game, that the stadium needed better lighting for a night game. The NFL responded by paying $365,000 for the addition of five light poles to bring the total to nine.
In 2002, the Sporting News rated Fawcett Stadium the number one high school football venue in America. To make sure that designation was not in vain, the Canton City Schools have completed major projects. First was a video replay board built by Daktronics installed in the northwest corner of the stadium. The second was the replacement of the Astro-Turf surface installed in 1997 with the new, more player-friendly Field-Turf. The third, a new scoreboard by Daktronics. The new board includes a large video-capable display.
In 2009, Fawcett Stadium opened a new $3.1 million pressbox. The new pressbox added additional 295 seats over the old facility, plus upgrades to all the technological infrastructure that runs out of the pressbox. Chief among the improvements: Dedicated boxes for radio and TV, a room that serves as a studio for the Hall of Fame Game and a camera room for other events, and a state-of-the-art production area for the scoreboards, audio, and networking.
A total of four local teams play their home games at Fawcett Stadium. They includ e NAIA rivals Malone College and Walsh University as well as the two Canton City high schools: McKinley, and Timken.
Did You Know?
Fawcett Stadium is built on the site of a natural shale amphitheater
William S. Williams had a brick yard on the site before the city gave it to the school board
Fawcett Stadium was designed by architect, Charles E. Firestone
Jesse Mason was superintendent of Canton City Schools at the time of stadium construction
Fawcett Stadium was a WPA project built in the 1930's
George Deuble was school board president in the late 1930's
McKinley and Lehman schools were the first to play football in the dedicated stadium before 10,000 fans in a half completed facility.
