User:Halvorsen brian/Multnomah Athletic Club

The Multnomah Athletic Club is a private social and athletic club in Portland, Oregon, United States. Located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood, it was founded in 1891, and the club has expanded greatly from its beginnings. It now fills two buildings totaling 600000 sqft, making it the largest indoor athletic club in the world.

History
The Multnomah Athletic Club was formed in February 1891 by former members of the Portland Football and Cricket Club.

Baseball team
In July 1894, the Sanford University baseball team traveled to Portland for a series against the Multnomah Athletic Club baseball team. Stanford was victorious, 6–5 in front of a crowd of 1,500 people during the first game. Multnomah lost the second game, 20–9, and committed 15 errors.

Football team
The first American football team at the Multnomah Athletic Club organized in 1891, with Jack Savage serving as the squad's captain. The first football game was held on October 31, 1891 between the Multnomah Athletic Club and the Bishop Scott Academy football team at Oaks Field. Multnomah lost the game, 0–8 and in a retrospective of events by The Oregonian in 1902 it was noted that players lacked the knowledge of the game's rules and strategy. Following the team's first game, Multnomah received a challenge from the Tacoma Athletic Club of Tacoma, Washington to play a football game on Thanksgiving Day 1891 in Portland. Many members of the Bishop Scott Academy team that defeated Multnomah joined the club squad. Multnomah won the game, 30–6 in what kicked-off the annual tradition of the club hosting a Thanksgiving Day football game. On New Year's Day 1892, 75 Multnomah supporters went to Tacoma to witness the two clubs play a re-match. Multnomah won the game by a score of 24–0 and the club boosters stayed in Tacoma for three nights to celebrate.

On New Years Day 1894, the Multnomah Athletic Club played the Stanford University football team. The club hired William Heffelfinger—who had just finished his season at the helm of California Golden Bears football team—to coach the game for Multnomah. Stanford defeated Multnomah by a score of 16–0. That evening after the game, both teams were guests for a performance of the opera the Chimes of Normandy at the Marquam Theater. During an intermission between the first and second acts, the teams were honored on stage by the cast of the opera. The Stanford players were bestowed with silk sashes by the native Californians in the production. Stanford's captain Joe Smith was gifted a silver shield.

The Portland Athletic Club was formed in 1894 and until its demise in 1898, the club's football team regularly played the Multnomah squad. George W. McMillian, who had played with the Multnomah football team since 1895, was named club's coach in 1898.

In 1915, the Multnomah football team traveled to San Francisco, California to play the Olympic Athletic Club during the Panama–Pacific International Exposition.

Facilities
The club's primary facility is an eight-level main clubhouse located adjacent to Providence Park, a multipurpose stadium located on land formerly owned by the club, directly behind the park's south end bleachers. Covered parking for more than 600 autos is provided across the street in the club's garage.

Athletic facilities at the club include: Nine tennis courts, Eight squash courts, Ten racquetball/handball courts, Gymnastics arena, Three gymnasiums including a rock climbing gym, Indoor track, Batting cage, Pilates studio, Exercise and conditioning room with 14800 ft2 of space, Three fitness studios with 9430 ft2 total space, and Four locker rooms with over 6400 lockers. The club also has three swimming pools, two with spectator galleries.

Dining facilities include three restaurants, ten private dining rooms and the grand ballroom. Areas for socializing include reading lounge, game room, stadium terrace, sun deck, and junior lounge. Amenities include concierge, the -M-porium retail shop, child care and playschool, salon, massage, and shoe shine/repair.

The club offers a swim team, synchronized swimming, basketball, cycling, dance, decathlon, golf, gymnastics, handball, karate, Pilates, personal training, skiing, squash, soccer, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, hiking, and yoga. The clubhouse is also host to a variety of local, regional, and national sporting competitions throughout the year, and has been a venue for international championships on more than one occasion.

Notable members and staff



 * Louis Balbach, Olympic bronze medalist in the three meter springboard in 1920
 * Sam Bellah, United States pole vault champion in 1911 and 1915
 * Alfred Carlton Gilbert, Olympic gold medalist in the pole vault in 1912 and inventor of the Erector Set
 * Arthur "Tums" Cavill, swimming and diving instructor
 * George Earle Chamberlain, Oregon Governor and U.S. Senator
 * Jack Cody, swimming and diving instructor
 * Henry L. Corbett, Oregon State Senator
 * Can Ergenekan, Turkish Olympic swimmer who currently competes in United States Masters Swimming
 * Martin Hawkins, Olympic bronze medalist in the 110m hurdles in 1912
 * Brenda Helser, American Olympic swimmer who won gold in the women's 4×100-meter in 1948
 * Walter Hummel, United States champion in the 440 yd hurdles in 1916
 * Herbert Kerrigan, Olympic bronze medalist in the high jump in 1906
 * Sam Lee, 1933 NCAA doubles tennis champion who later became president of the Multnomah Athletic Club
 * Thelma Payne, Olympic bronze medalist in the three meter springboard in 1920
 * Olive McKean, American Olympic swimmer who later became the Multnomah Athletic Club's aquatic director
 * Nancy Merki, at 14 years old set the 1500-meter freestyle AAU swimming record in 1941 and made the US summer Olympic team in 1948
 * Constance Meyer, British diver who trained under Jack Cody in the 1910s
 * Maureen Murphy, American Olympic swimmer who competed in 1956
 * Chester Newton, Olympic silver medalist, featherweight wrestling in 1924
 * Paul Rader, American football player
 * Robin Reed, Olympic gold medalist, featherweight wrestling in 1924
 * Tommy Ryan, American boxer who served as the club's boxing instructor from November to December 1911
 * Rick Sanders, Olympic silver medalist in wrestling in 1968 and 1972
 * Carrie Steinseifer, Olympic gold medalist in swimming in the 100 meter freestyle and 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay in 1984
 * Charlie Uksila, American ice hockey player who competed in the 1916 Stanley Cup Finals
 * Russel Vis, Olympic gold medalist, lightweight wrestling in 1924
 * Suzanne Zimmerman, American Olympic swimmer who won silver in the 100-meter backstroke in 1948