Zable Stadium, Dedicated 1990
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Zable Stadium is the main football and track and field venue at William & Mary. Before its dedication as Zable Stadium in 1990, it was known as Cary Field, Cary Field Stadium, or unofficially, William & Mary Stadium. It is located between the Cohen Career Center and the Alumni House, alongside the Jimmye Laycock Football Center.
Cary Field, now the location of Zable Stadium, was so named to honor T. Archibald Cary of Richmond, Virginia, a member of the Board of Visitors, and his father John B. Cary. The new enclosed field was constructed from 1907 to 1909, and completed in time for the baseball season in 1909. In 1909, Cary had donated a total of $2665 to the effort. About $170 was appropriated to paint and stain the grandstand and fence of the newly named Athletic Field that same year. In 2021, the Board of Visitors, as part of a comprehensive review of building names on campus, determined that the honorific for Cary Field shall henceforth be for T.A. Cary alone.
The stadium was built in 1935. The Board of Visitors approved the present name at their November 2, 1990, meeting. In 1996, the north gate facing Richmond Road was named the John Harvard Randolph '64 Alumni Gate.
The stadium is named after Walter J. Zable, class of 1937, president and chief executive officer of the Cubic Corporation, and his wife, Betty C. Zable, class of 1940. Walter Zable was a track and football star during his time at William & Mary.
In 2021 "the arcade at Cary Field, the arched walkway on the northside of Zable stadium, will be named the Arthur A. Matsu Arcade, after the College’s first Asian American student. Art Matsu ’27 played four sports at the College, including football, at which he excelled. After he was a quarterback for the College, he became the first alumnus of the College to play in the NFL. He later coached football at Rutgers University." For more information, go to the news story, W&M campus structures named for trailblazing alumni
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Front of Zable Stadium, 1996
An image of the front of the Zable Stadium in 1996. | Source: University Archives Photograph Collection, UA 8.
Aerial View of Cary Field, Circa 1933
An aerial image of Cary Field circa 1933. | Source: University Archives Photograph Collection, UA 8.
Servicemen in Cary Stadium, Circa 1944
Cary Stadium filled with servicemen in uniform circa 1944. | Source: University Archives Photograph Collection, UA 8.
Cheerleaders in Zable Stadium, Circa 1970
William & Mary cheerleaders at a football game in Zable Stadium, circa 1970. | Source: University Archives Photograph Collection, UA 8.
Zable Stadium Dedication, 1990
A photograph of the dedication of Zable Stadium during Homecoming 1990. Third from the left is Walter J. Zable, William & Mary undergraduate from 1933 to 1937 and honorary degree recipient in 1978. | Source: University Archives Photograph Collection, UA 8.
Commencement at Zable Stadium, 1993
The Commencement Ceremony of 1993 taking place in Zable Stadium. | Source: University Archives Photograph Collection, UA 8.
Aerial View of Zable Stadium, 1993
An aerial photograph of Zable Stadium in 1993, likely filled for a local high school graduation. | Source: University Archives Photograph Collection, UA 8.
Cary Field, Circa 1996
An empty Cary Field and stadium, circa 1996. | Source: University Archives Photograph Collection, UA 8.