Trinidad, Colo. – Sitting high on the hill overlooking the city of Trinidad, Colorado is Trinidad State College's Scott Gymnasium. On November 14 the gym turned 85 years old.
The Gym
Trinidad State College was signed into existence just over 100 years ago and grew steadily throughout the 1930s. With that growth came the need to build, and build the college did. In the 1940, Trinidad State started construction on the Administration Building and the Gymnasium, known then as Trinidad State Junior College's "Trojan Gymnasium". Ground for the gym was broke in April, and on November 14, 1940 the cornerstone for the building was placed during a campus ceremony. The brand-new gymnasium was equipped with a full basketball floor, seating for 1,000 spectators, and many extra rooms in the lower level including a band room, coaches' offices, boys' and girls' dressing rooms, and a recreation room.
A large crowd gathered to witness the cornerstone-laying ceremony. Placed inside the cornerstone were an American flag, the 1940 Trojan Shield yearbook, and several issues of the Trojan Tribune. Speaking on behalf of his classmates, Student Body President James Meiklejohn expressed their collective pride: "In addition to housing one of the finest gymnasiums in southern Colorado, with splendid seating facilities, it also includes rooms to be used for various types of training classes for both college and high school students!"
The gym has hosted countless memorable events over the years—including athletic contests, graduations, registration days, and dances. Its court has welcomed exceptional talent, among them NBA Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood, as well as former NBA players Jerry Chambers and Ken "Foot" Bannister.
The TSC High School Invitational Basketball Tournament has taken place at Scott Gym for nearly its entire history and returns again this December. George W. Scott is widely regarded as the "father" of the tournament—a tribute to his foresight in establishing it during his tenure.
The past four Region 9 Championship basketball teams have called Scott Gym home, and even though the National Junior College Athletic Association has deemed it as too small to host playoff games, it is a about two feet short, it still hosts excited Trojan fans for regular season competition all year.
In 1949, the "Trojan Gymnasium" was renamed Scott Gym—or more formally as George W. Scott Gymnasium—in honor of the man who helped launch Trinidad State's athletics program.
The Man
George Washington Scott was born in 1889 in Rapid City, South Dakota. After graduating from high school at the age of 15, he worked on cattle ranches but decided to return to school after witnessing his first football game. He completed his first two years at Black Hills Teachers College and, in 1912, received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado College, where he captained the football and track teams for two years.
Scott began his career as a high school coach and mathematics teacher in Fort Collins, Colorado, later becoming the athletic director at the Colorado School of Mines, where he coached football, track, and swimming in 1935 and 1936. In 1937, Scott was named Dean at Trinidad State, where he also assumed coaching duties in football and track, even before the school had relocated to its permanent campus.
Under his guidance, Trinidad State's athletic programs flourished. In 1939, Trinidad State joined the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), which was conceived in 1937 to promote and supervise a national program of junior college sports and activities. Scott directed the national track meet in Denver in May 1941, the first time it was held outside of California, solidifying Trinidad State's role in the national arena. His team finished second in the Rocky Mountain Conference junior college division track meet in 1939. Two years later, his team won the RMC junior college division championship.
President Baird invited Scott to deliver the 1949 Commencement Address, acknowledging Scott's lasting influence on the College's activities and traditions. On June 10, 1949, the gymnasium was rededicated and officially named the George W. Scott Gym in his honor. This dedication exemplified Scott's commitment to his athletes and their welfare.
Scott served as Dean at Trinidad State from 1936 to 1941. Yet, even after he left, he remained interested in the College's successes. He proposed the idea of an award recognizing athletes with the highest academic records for two years of work. The first recipient of the George W. Scott Award in 1953 was John Toupal. In the years to come, Scott returned several times to present these awards in person. The George Scott Award is still given to the highest academic achieving athletes each year.
A commercial mineralogist upon retirement, Scott passed away in 1969 and was survived by two sons and two daughters. He was posthumously inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Black Hills State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.
George W. Scott left a rich legacy of athletic achievement and a dedicated regard for human values through his coaching and teaching career. He touched the lives of numerous young people in their formative years, firmly believing that developing character was more important than winning championships and trophies. His students said they "will all be better for having known him."
The NJCAA
Trinidad State College was one of the first non-California schools to join the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in 1939. In 1941, Trinidad State hosted the first NJCAA National Track meet to be held outside of California in Denver. Track was the only championship sponsored by the association until 1945 when basketball was added.