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Luther to dedicate Legends Center

Date 3/29/2001 12:00 AM | Topic: Sports

Luther College will host a dedication ceremony on Saturday, March 31 for The Legends Fitness for Life Center, the $1.6 million, 10,000-square-foot addition to the college's sports and recreation building, The Regents Center.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. in the new Legends building addition, located on the northwest corner of The Regents Center on the Luther campus. The ceremony and reception are open to the public with no charge for admission.

The March 31 event marks the formal opening of The Legends Fitness for Life, named in honor of three Luther teaching and coaching legends: the late Hamlet "Coach Pete" Peterson, Edsel Schweizer and Kent Finanger.

The dedication ceremony will include a welcome by Luther President Richard L. Torgerson and remarks by Orville Johnson, chair of the Luther Board of Regents, and Joe Thompson, athletic director and chair of the department of health and physical education.

Kent Finanger, professor emeritus of health and physical education, will speak on behalf of the three Luther coaches. Luther senior and student athlete, Elsa Schmitt will also speak, and music will be provided by the Luther Jazz Band under direction of Juan-Tony Guzman.

The two-level fitness center features a free-weight strength training area of about 6,000 square feet on the lower level and a cardio-vascular strength unit and equipment on the 3,500 square-foot upper level.

The new addition also has a 30-foot climbing wall, computer-equipped "cyber " lounge, study and refreshment area, an atrium and television sets, zoned radio music and other recreation and fitness-oriented amentities. Both the free-weight and cardio-vascular training areas are equipped with new training equipment and machines.

The dedication of The Legends Fitness for Life Center is the culmination of a three-year project to design, raise funds and construct the new addition. The building and its equipment will serve the fitness, athletic training and recreation needs of Luther's 2,600 students and will be the central facility for the college's new campus wide health and wellness program.

Luther will launch that new program with an April 4 ceremony. The new building and program continue the college's motto "Mens Sana In Corpore Sano" (A Sound Mind in a Sound Body), a tradition of academic and athletic excellence championed by the namesake legends teachers and coaches Peterson, Schweizer and Finanger.

Peterson taught Latin, Greek and physical education, was head coach in football, men's basketball and baseball and served as athletic director during his 43 years at Luther, 1923-65. A 1922 graduate of Luther, he died in 1973.

Schweizer taught psychology, was head coach in football and men's track and field, and served as athletic director and as dean of students during his 35 years at the college, 1950-84. He holds the record for most wins among Luther football coaches with a record of 150-79-6 over 33 seasons.

Finanger taught health and physical education, was head coach in men's cross country, men's basketball and men's track and field, and was assistant coach in football and baseball and men's track and field, and was assistant coach in football and baseball during his 40 years at the college, 1957-96. A 1954 graduate of Luther, he built a national power men's cross country program at the college, winning the NCAA Division III national championship in 1985.

With some 120 years combined service to the college, the three Luther legends have had a profound influence on the lives of thousands of students as teachers, coaches, mentors and friends.

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Press release from the Luther College Public Information Office

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