Groundbreaking Ceremony Photo Gallery
Monday, August 10, 2009

Shorter College Slates Groundbreaking for Improvements to On-Campus Field; Announces that Facility will be Named ‘Ben Brady Field’
 
August 3 - Shorter College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, as it launches improvements to its on-campus practice field. The ceremony will be held at the field, located behind the college’s Robert H. Ledbetter Baseball Complex and near the Bass Village student residences. The planned improvements include the addition of an artificial turf surface and lighting. Deluxe Athletics of Marietta has been contracted to install the artificial turf. The lighting is being installed by Parker Systems of Summerville with the installation work being donated by Shorter College Trustee David Parker.

“Once work is completed on the practice field, Shorter will have a regulation-size field suitable for football and soccer that will stand out as one of the best fields in Northwest Georgia. The project will utilize some of the latest laser-grading technology and high-quality synthetic turf. It will leave Shorter with a showcase for use by many of our athletic teams and our marching band,” said Shorter College President Dr. Harold E. Newman. The field will be utilized as a practice facility for the college’s varsity and junior varsity football teams, men’s and women’s soccer teams, and the Shorter marching band; it will also be available for intramural activities.

The Benjamin F. Brady Charitable Foundation is helping to support the improvements to the field. The Shorter College Board of Trustees has approved naming the facility the Ben Brady Field in honor of Mr. Brady, a philanthropist who supported religious causes, including those in the area of higher education.

Shorter College Athletic Director Bill Peterson added that the improvements to Brady Field will have a positive impact on the college’s student-athletes. “With the addition of this multipurpose field, we feel the Shorter athletic program has taken a major step forward in terms of its athletic facilities. In fact, this particular field should be one of the best of its kind among all NAIA schools. In addition, it also marks the beginning phase of a long-term commitment to improving facilities for all of our 500 student-athletes and their teams.”

The improvements to Brady Field are expected to be completed during the fall semester.

Founded in 1873, Shorter College is a Christian college committed to excellence in education. Since 2003, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Shorter among the South’s best baccalaureate colleges, and The Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its lists of best value and best Southeastern colleges. The college offers bachelor’s degrees in 48 major areas, master’s level and undergraduate degree programs for working adults, online courses, and a vibrant intercollegiate athletic program. Shorter will transition to university status June 1, 2010. For more information, visit www.shorter.edu.

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