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| Vol. 17, No. 33 | May 28, 1998 |
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| Vol. 17, No. 33 | May 28, 1998 |
Kelly Cawley, field hockey co-captain, and head coach
Carol Miller thank Fred and Madeleine
Rullo for their generous gift to the University.
In announcing the gift, University President David P. Roselle said, "It's been said nothing ever built rose to touch the skies unless someone dreamed it should, someone dreamed it could and someone willed that it must.
"That should, could and must have come together in the form of Fred P. Rullo Jr.," Roselle said, "and we are extremely grateful."
The Board of Trustees, at its semiannual meeting the same day, passed a resolution naming the new facility in recognition of Rullo, a faithful and generous supporter of the University who serves on the board of the UD Athletic Fund.
Rullo and his wife, Madeleine, have three children, two of whom are UD alumni-Patricia, a member of the class of '85, and Linda, who graduated in 1987. Linda is married to former Blue Hen football captain Joe McGrail, AS '87, an NCAA Division I-AA All-American.
At the news conference announcing the gift, Rullo said, "I've had, more or less, a love affair with the University for a long time. I've been very fortunate in my life, and I can trace that back to my time here in the classrooms and on the playing fields. This is a way for me to pay some of that back."
He credited his wife for teaching him a valuable precept, "For those who have received much, much is expected in return."
"Both of us are delighted to do this for the University," Rullo said.
Rullo, now retired, had a distinguished career with Atlantic Richfield and the Freedom Chemical Co., serving as chairman, president and CEO of the latter company, which was sold to B.F. Goodrich Co. earlier this year.
The new stadium completes the David M. Nelson Athletic Complex and brings UD's athletic playing facilities-already ranked among the best on the East Coast-into the 21st century. In all, eight of UD's 22 intercollegiate athletic teams have been directly affected by the lack of an artificial turf playing surface with high-quality lighting and bleacher seating, Roselle said.
The Fred P. Rullo Stadium will be home to the women's field hockey team. Field hockey, Roselle said, is played on an artificial surface at the highest competitive levels and the America East Conference mandates that the conference tournament be played on such a surface.
Delaware's natural turf field also has severely hampered the women's field hockey program's recruiting efforts, he explained. The most highly skilled players coming out of high school, junior national caliber players, have repeatedly turned down admission to UD because of the lack of an artificial surface that would allow them to further develop and hone their skills for eventual Olympic or international competition, Roselle said.
The new facility also will be used for men's and women's lacrosse practices and home games; football, baseball and softball practices; men's and women's soccer practices and occasional home games; physical education classes; intramural and recreation program events; and for high school field hockey and lacrosse championships and Special Olympics events.
The stadium is located on the existing fields southwest of the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center and east of the retention pond at the corner of Routes 896 and 4. The 127,575 square feet will permit a full-sized game field for all applicable sports as well as two side-by-side practice areas running across the field. There will be bleacher seating for approximately 2,000 fans, lights that will permit evening use, a press box, a multi-sport scoreboard and blacktopped parking behind the bleachers.
Fred P. Rullo Stadium is expected to be completed by mid-September.
Roselle also thanked another partner in the project, Desso DLW of Dendermonde, Belgium, the firm that is the leading manufacturer of artificial playing surfaces.
Desso DLW has agreed to install its Actionturf nylon surface for the cost of polypropylene and to donate an installed $40,000 watering system and woven field hockey lines in return for use of the University of Delaware as its "showcase" facility in the United States, Roselle said.
Approximately 98 percent of the field hockey fields in Europe are made by this company.
Roselle thanked Desso DLW for what he termed a "double gift."
"Not only are we grateful for the superior surface and watering system but we are very thankful to be considered and celebrated as a premier site nationally," Roselle said.
Attending the news conference were representatives of DD Martin of Hunt Valley, Md., which is handling the artificial turf project, and The Clark Co. of New York, which is doing all of the subbase work, including drainage, conduit, stone base, lights and bleacher foundations, etc.
They included John Griffen, regional sales manager of DD Martin; Scott Clark, president of The Clark Co.; and Jim Cattell, project manager of The Clark Co.
Roselle said two individuals from Desso DLW wanted to attend but were at the World Cup Field Hockey tournament in Holland, which is being played on Desso DLW's Actionturf.
Several coaches and student-athletes also attended the announcement, which was held at the site, where subbase work has begun.
And, it was the student-athletes from the field hockey team who had the last word at the news conference. Kelly Cawley, co-captain, and Jen Amoroso thanked the Rullos and said, "We'd love to see you at our games next year."
Fred and Madeleine Rullo
An architect's rendering of the new stadium
Photos by Jack Buxbaum
