UND dedicates new Memorial Stadium Monument
In line with ‘Memorial’ heritage of Memorial Stadium, monument honors UND service members who died during World War I
“Lt. Colonel Fred E. Smith, a Grand Forks resident and an 1894 UND graduate was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for attacking a German machine gun nest with his pistol, during World War I. Smith’s patrol was ambushed then, and his actions allowed his soldiers to escape.”
“Cpl. Philip E. Joos, a UND law student, enlisted at the outbreak of the war, and from that time until Sept. 29 of 1918, he saw almost constant service in trench warfare. On that day, in fighting off a German counterattack, he received wounds that would end up resulting in his death.”
“Lt. Ralph Dryden, an engineering student, was killed while flight testing German aircraft in France.”
Those were just some of the stories President Andrew Armacost related on Thursday, May 22, at a ceremony that dedicated a new memorial to UND students and graduates who served in World War I.
The names above are just three of the 51 UND service members who died in the war — 33 soldiers from UND and an additional 18 members of the Student Army Training Corps, who had trained at UND for their military service.
The new monument, a five-piece-stone edifice bearing the words “Loyalty,” ‘Respect,” “Service,” “Courage” and “Honor” (with the word “Sacrifice” etched below), continues the tradition of remembering those who lost their lives in World War I, as well as UND’s third president Webster Merrifield, that was embodied in Memorial Stadium and was taken down in 2021.
The Memorial Stadium was built in 1927 with 392,000 bricks for nearly $200,000, which was raised by UND students, faculty, alumni as well as Grand Forks business owners. Their campaign slogan was “Help the U that is helping you.”
The ceremony on that sunny Thursday began with the presentation of the colors by members of the Grand Forks American Legion Post, followed by the national anthem, played by Joel Ness, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering & Mines. Ness also closed out the ceremony by playing “Taps,” which signals the end of a military day.
Now, members of the UND and the greater community have a new memorial at which they can pay their respects. The monument is located at the corner of Second Avenue North and North Columbia Road, the same location as Memorial Stadium and now the home of the Hyslop at Memorial Village building, which houses the UND Athletics facilities.
“This beautiful structure shines a light on the sacrifice our students made for their country and etches in granite their legacy,” Armacost said in his remarks. “It also marks the historic site of Memorial Stadium, and it was not just a stadium, but a structure that stood as an example of what could be accomplished when UND people come together to make a difference for future generations.”
Armacost thanked the members of the Memorial Village development team, who worked to bring the statue to reality, from concept to stone. Those members include Steve Burian, president and CEO of Burian and Associates; Craig Tweeten, president of Community Contractors; Mike Kuntz, an architect with Rise Design Group; and Kevin Ritterman, president of Dakota Commercial.
Armacost also said the dedication of the monument makes true a promise he made when the original Memorial Stadium was taken down.
“In 2021, I promised that we would keep the intent of the original stadium alive,” he said. “With this new development that you see, and to preserve the memory of the UND service members who served, fought and died during World War I … today, that promise comes true.”
Burian then took to the podium in front of the monument and said it definitely took a team to bring it to fruition.
“We gather not only to dedicate a monument but to honor the legacy of the University of North Dakota students who left this campus to serve their country in World War I and never returned,” he said. “Their sacrifices are woven into the very fabric of our University’s history, and now with the unveiling of the new memorial, we ensure that their memory continues, not just in words, but in enduring stone.”
He explained that the five pieces of the monument take the shape of the state of North Dakota, a “deliberate and meaningful” choice that broadens the tribute of the memorial across the entire state. This way, it also can serve as an expression of gratitude to all North Dakotans who have served their country and the University.
Following Burian was Tim Belmore, associate athletic director of major gifts, who serves on the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. From 2000 to 2011, Belmore coached UND football, which then resided in the Memorial Stadium.
Belmore said the dedication of the monument, officially called the Memorial Stadium Monument, continues the legacy of remembrance of UND’s World War I soldiers and Webster Merrifield. That remembrance, he said, was made possible by donors who supported efforts to create the monument.
“Your support ensures that the memory of these veterans remains visible and endures,” he said. “You are part of a long tradition of giving that began with the very campaign, as (President Armacost) mentioned, that built this Memorial Stadium, the one that asked UND alumni and friends to ‘Help the U that is helping you.’”
Set to be installed later this summer in the monument will be a time capsule, much like the one that was installed in the original Memorial Stadium, almost a century ago.
The contents of the new capsule include a letter from Armacost to a future UND president. Also included will be the last flag flown above the Memorial Stadium in 2021, the 1921 Dakota Annual, a yearbook featuring the 33 UND soldiers who served in World War I, an original ticket from the very first UND football game held in the stadium in 1927 (which was included in the original time capsule), among several other items.
Armacost said he anticipated the new capsule could remain sealed for the next 50 years.
Following the ceremony, guests made their way inside the new UND Athletics offices for a look around, conversation, refreshments and the chance to view up close the items set to be placed in the new time capsule of the Memorial Stadium Monument.
