MARIETTA, Ohio — In the midst of the Depression, the Marietta community rallied together to build a stadium that would be shared by the city, the local school district and Marietta College.
 
Since its dedication in October 1934, generations of athletes, fans and family members have found great joy in taking the field or rooting from the stands—the stuff of fond memories.
 
This week, one special Marietta College family committed to a donation that will breathe new life into Don Drumm Stadium, so that many more generations of players and spectators to come can create their own special stories. The Chlapaty family contributed $2.6 million to revitalize the stadium. The gift pushes the Legacy Campaign past its $50 million goal. An additional $1 million fundraising project is underway to cover the balance of the Don Drumm project.
 
“My wife (Linda) and I are strong supporters of private education at the college level,” Joe Chlapaty says. His son, Keith '97, played football under former coach, Gene Epley. “Gene is a wonderful guy and he helped to contribute to the good years that my son enjoyed at Marietta.”
 
The Chlapaty family gift focuses on Don Drumm because “it's the last facility on campus that is in dire need of revitalizing,” says Joe Chlapaty.
 
Football runs in the family, with Keith playing for the Pioneers, Joe playing for the University of Dubuque, and Joe's father, Hans, playing semi-pro in Chicago, who incidentally played in an all-star game against the Chicago Bears in 1937. Joe attended all of his son's games for Marietta—home or away—and says he is grateful for the memories that his son gave him while playing for the Pioneers.
 
“The Chlapatys' enthusiastic support of Marietta College over the years is enormously gratifying,” says President Jean A. Scott. “This wonderful relationship began when Keith enrolled at Marietta and played football for former coach Gene Epley. His father Joe immediately became an engaged parent and champion for the College. We are also extremely grateful to Joe for serving on the Campaign Steering Committee and for continuing to provide exemplary leadership on the Board of Trustees. The Chlapatys' $2.6 million gift to support a renovation and addition at Don Drumm Stadium will allow the College to enhance a facility that dates back to the Great Depression, and provide outstanding space for our students, coaches and fans. For that I am personally grateful to the Chlapaty family.”
 
Chlapaty, who also donated funds to create the Chlapaty Café in the new Legacy Library, will enjoy seeing Don Drumm once the improvements have been made.
 
“It's tremendously more enjoyable to be philanthropic while you're alive and see what physical changes you've made in your lifetime,” he says.
 
He added that the newly refurbished stadium will make the College more appealing to potential student-athletes.
 
“I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the Chlapaty family. This gift will allow us to move forward with the improvement of our football program and Don Drumm Stadium,” says Marietta Director of Athletics Larry Hiser. “I am extremely grateful to Joe Chlapaty for taking the time to listen to our plan for the stadium and that he felt it was important enough and that he wanted to be a part of accomplishing this positive step for Marietta athletics.”
 
With the Legacy Campaign in its last days, the College recognizes the thousands of donors who stepped up to make the three-year, $50 million goal a reality. From the new library to Dave '78 and Brenda Rickey's gift that made the Anderson Hancock Planetarium possible, the changes to the physical campus are remarkable.
 
“The Legacy Campaign has been a collective effort. Its success has come from gifts of all sizes, both large and small,” said Lori Lewis, Vice President for Advancement. “We are deeply grateful to the thousands of alumni and friends of Marietta College who've enabled us to come this far and surpass our $50 million goal in three years. From the start, it was an ambitious plan, considering we had the same financial target as the last campaign for the College compressed in half of the time. Even more impressive is that our donors continued to give during one of the toughest economic times in recent memory. But thanks to an incredibly generous response from our alumni and friends, which began with matching $5 million gifts from Rob Dyson '68 and Laura Baudo Sillerman '68, they have made an enormous impact on the future of Marietta College.”