University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Public Invited To Field Dedication
12/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Public Invited To Field Dedication
Hattiesburg, Miss. -- The University of Southern Mississippi football practice fields will be officially named The Joe P. Park Practice Field in 4:30 p.m., ceremonies at the newly-lighted facility Friday prior to the Southern Miss-TCU football game that will start at 6 p.m.
The facility is being named in honor of the late Joe. P. Park, a class of 1961 Southern Miss graduate, a track athlete and an avid golfer and Golden Eagle fan.
In years past when Daylight Savings Time ended in October and darkness arrived prior to the end of football practice, the team was forced to move from the practice facility to Roberts Stadium to finish practice. That disrupted practice as well as adding wear and tear to the game field.
A group of Park friends, business associates and golfing buddies, Gene Gibson, Gary Parr, Larry Pister and Cliff Doyle, raised the money necessary to make the much-needed lighting project a reality.
The group represents a larger group of 65-to-80 people, mostly from the Arkansas and Tennessee area, that held a golf tournament each year, to raise money for various charities. After Park's death, the group decided to use the tournament proceeds to honor their golfing friend, who loved the game so much that friends scattered his ashes over a hole on one of his favorite courses in Savannah, Ga.
The group also has honored Park by establishing a Golden Eagle endowed golf scholarship in his name, in addition to making major contributions to two other golf scholarships.
In addition to the group's contribution, South Mississippi Electric Power Assocaition, Doleac Electric Company and the Southern Miss Physical Plant all assisted with the installation of the new lights and will be recognized on signage that will be unveiled at Friday's ceremony.
