John D. Sulsberger Memorial Stadium / Home of the Zanesville Blue Devils!

John comes 'home!'

Blue Devils fans know the legend -- John Sulsberger once pointed out to his football teammates where a nice stadium could be built on the ZHS campus -- and that's exactly where one was built following his tragic death in 1963. On Aug. 28, 2009, prior to the Blue Devils' game with Newark, a special donor recognition area was dedicated and it includes a life-sized statue of John Sulsberger, created by local sculptor Alan Cottrill.

MORE PHOTOS

Still, the Stadium project continues!

Fundraising continues as we move forward with our renovation plans.

Most importantly, the visitors bleachers still need to be replaced and the press box needs to be renovated to accommodate 21st Century media needs.

Check back to this site again often as we unveil all of those plans and projects. The dream for this grand facility -- it's 45th birthday is this fall -- is not complete. It makes no sense to leave it half-finished, right?

With your help, our Stadium once again will be the premier high school facility
in Southeastern Ohio, and one of the TOP TEN statewide!

Thanks to photographer Joe Clark for his great aerial shots
from our rededication game agains Licking Valley
on Friday, August 29, 2008.

If you would like to purchase one of the more than 300 photo Joe shot that night, please visit his Web site, www.joeclarkphotography.com.

For more information, or to order directly,

please call Joe at 740-455-3466.

You can still be a part of this on-going project!
Click HERE to download a gift commitment form
and help us move closer to our goal!

All donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

CLICK HERE to see more photos of this great project!

Do you have photos you'd like to see posted on this site?
We're especially seeking photos of historical significance.

Please e-mail the site administrator to arrange
for posting your photos!

The committee gratefully acknowledges use of the print of John D. Sulsberger Memorial Stadium, by artist Phillip Wilson! This was our logo photo through 2008, and depicts how the stadium looked before the renovations began.

THE LATEST!
KEEP THE PROJECT MOVING!

CLICK HERE to download
a gift commitment form.
Donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

CLICK HERE
for a page detailing
how you can get involved
in our fund-raising campaign!

THE LATEST PHOTOS!
CLICK HERE
for info on the Wall of Pride,
which was installed in 1998,
and how you can order
a personalized brick!
CLICK HERE
for info on the Lee Eric Vinsel Memorial
and the Memorial Grove, dedicated in 2007, and how you can be a part of it!
CLICK HERE
for audio interviews with those who were there when Sulsberger Stadium was dedicated in 1964!
The committee
gratefully acknowledges
use of the print of
John D. Sulsberger
Memorial Stadium,
by artist Phillip Wilson!

The Home

of the BLUE DEVILS

John D. Sulsberger Memorial Stadium has been the home to Zanesville High School athletics since it opened for the final football game of the 1964 season, in tribute to former Blue Devils football star John Sulsberger, an All-Ohio lineman who died of leukemia not long after graduating from ZHS. His parents, Dr. J. Diehl and Mrs. Elizabeth Sulsberger, provided the financial boost to build the on-campus football facility their only son had dreamed about during his playing days. Not only has it been the site of many great ZHS sports memories, it has also hosted many Ohio High School Athletics Association post-season events as well as being a site for graduations, marching band competitions and other large community events.

What about its future?
Very few things last forever. Sulsberger Stadium was considered a "Cadillac" facility when it opened in November 1964. But 44 years of increasingly heavier use put a strain on it. It became difficult to maintain a satisfactory playing surface. The rubberized all-weather track was cracking, crumbling and shredding. The lighting system was insufficient. The press box is outdated, as are the visitors' bleachers. The list goes on.

The legacy of Dr. & Mrs. Sulsberger, and the memory of John Sulsberger, now deserve the attention of this generation. Work has begun to to replace the natural grass playing surface with a state-of-the-art artificial turf system, to replace the old track and to fix the lighting. There are still short-term plans to improve the visitors seating area and upgrade the concessions and restrooms. It is an ambitious task, but one that needs to be undertaken for the students of Zanesville City Schools in particular, and for the community as a whole.

How can you help?
Fund-raising is now under way. Check back to this site often. We will soon be listing donors, and will also provide complete updates as the project progresses toward completion. Help us honor Dr. and Mrs. Sulsbergers' foresight and generosity by creating a legacy for Zanesville High School's next half-century!

John D. Sulsberger Memorial Stadium Improvement Committee
   c/o Zanesville High School
   Scott Aronhalt, Director of Athletics
   1701 Blue Avenue
   Zanesville, OH 43701
   (740) 453-0335

Anything to share?
If you have photos or other things we could use on this Web site, please contact the site Administrator. You will receive the proper attribution for your contributions to this site. Help us rebuild the legacy!

Site last modified on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 01:51:56 PM