University of Kentucky is able to boast proudly of having one of the nation's most harmonious and well-balanced athletic programsSeptember to June activity in 1 0 different sports featuring more than 500 athletes in action before audiences that exceed a half million persons and involving use of facilities valued at several million dollars.
Supervising the steady growth and balanced development of one of the top intercollegiate athletic programs in the country today is a tall, silver-haired, former gridiron All-American known familiarly to thousands of UK sport fans as "Shive."
He is, by name, Bernie A. Shively. In his position as Kentucky's Director of Athletics since 1938, this gentleman of many talents has been largely responsible for guiding the University to increasing prominence in the athletic world.
In addition to a fair-minded policy direction that has resulted in "big time" stature for the school's athletic teams, Shively during his 28-year tenure has directly supervised major expansions in the physical plant designed to keep pace with the growing patronage by a sports-minded public. Among these have been the doubling of the seating capacity of Stoll Field, and preparation of a spacious sports center to provide top facilities for spring sports teams and football practice.
The seating capacity of Kentucky's football stadium, McLean Stadium on Stoll Field, has been doubled to bring the current number of seats to approximately 37,500 and on par with most other schools located in heavier-populated areas. Powerful lighting equipment also was installed during the 1948-49 construction and a new-type "iodized" light put up in 1961 to bring night football into new popularity. Partly to satisfy the overwhelming number of basketball devotees, who could not squeeze into the 2,800-seat Alumni Gymnasium, a long-planned Memorial Coliseum was completed in 1950. Seating 1 1,500 persons for cage contests, the four-million dollar Coliseum also houses the Athletic Department. More recently, Shively directed the acquisition of a pair of modern, ranch-style living units which have served as the home of the football team since 1954. "Wildcat Manor" and "Kitten Lodge" replaced three frame houses which the gridders had occupied since 1949.
Plans Spacious New Sports Center
A large dressing room building and football practice field, used since 1955, was abandoned in 1959 to make way for a huge new men's dorm. Under Shively's supervision, a spacious new Sports Center was prepared a short distance away on the University farm to take even better care of the footballers and spring sports teams. The Sports Center is generally regarded as one of the finest sports facilities in the nation.
Stoll Field has undergone, with Shively's supervision, a major "face-lifting" to improve its playing surface and the view of the fans sitting in the lower rows of the stands.
Born in Oliver, III., May 26, 1903, Shively attended Paris (III.) High school and there began his athletic career by participating in track and football. Although he was considered an outstanding backfield man in high school, Shively didn't attract the serious attention of collegiate scouts. He entered Illinois and tried out for the football team on his own. From that humble beginning, Shively went on to become a great guard under Coach Bob Zuppke on the same I Mini team made famous by the immortal Red Grange.
Shive played two years with Grange, running interference for the "Galloping Ghost" and made All-America in 1926 as a senior despite a bad knee that handicapped his playing. He also won the heavyweight wrestling championship of the Big 10 and was a standout in track to rank as one of the finest all-around athletes in Illinois' history.
Shively came to Kentucky in 1927 as line coach of football under Harry Gam-mage and six years later was named head of the UK Physical Education Department. He succeeded Chet Wynne as Athletic Director in 1938.  During this period and the
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