Harvard's refurbished and rededicated arena for men's and
women's basketball-the Ray Lavietes '36 Pavilion at the Briggs
Athletic Center-stands among the most historic venues in the sport.
First opened in 1926, it is tied with the University of Oregon's
McArthur Court as the second-oldest building used for basketball
among Division I schools. Only Fordham's Rose Hill Gymnasium (1924)
is older.
Originally, the Briggs Center housed Harvard's indoor track
teams. It featured a second-floor running track preferred by many
of the greats of the day and also served as a favorite batting cage
for Crimson baseball players and even major leaguers like Boston
Red Sox great Ted Williams. Briggs quickly became an important part
of Harvard's entire athletic program, as other sports used the
building as an off-season training center.
The construction of the Gordon Track and Tennis Center in 1981
meant that the indoor track squads would be moving to their own
facility, making Briggs a prime location for the new home of the
school's basketball teams. Until that time, basketball was played
at the Indoor Athletic Building-now the Malkin Athletic Center-on
the Cambridge side of the river.
The facility honors both Ray Lavietes '36 and LeBaron Russell
Briggs. Lavietes, a two-year letterman for the basketball team, has
long supported Harvard and its athletic program, and his generosity
inspired a $2.1 million refurbishing project that was completed
prior to the 1995-96 season. The result was a new lobby with trophy
cases and indoor ticket windows; new locker rooms, team rooms, and
coaching offices for both the men and the women; an on-site
training room; a beautiful second-floor lounge that overlooks the
court and the Charles River; and a media room. To request use of
the Lavietes Lounge, please download the Facility Request Form and
return it to: Harvard Athletic Dept, Athletic Operations, 65 N.
Harvard Street, Boston, MA 02163 two weeks prior to the event date
requested.
Briggs served as the Dean of Harvard College from 1891 through
1902, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences from 1902 until
1925, and Chairman of the Committee of Regulation of Athletic
Sports for 17 years. Acclaimed for his efforts at improving
sportsmanship, he later became President of the National Collegiate
Athletic Association.
Lavietes Pavilion has a seating capacity of 2,195. The first
Harvard basketball game played there was a women's contest against
the University of Chicago on November 26, 1982, as part of the
Harvard Invitational. The men played their first game at Lavietes
the following day, facing M.I.T. and defeating the Engineers by an
83-58 count.
The building was first dedicated for basketball preceding the
men's game with Stanford University on December 21, 1982. Lavietes
Pavilion was officially dedicated, and Ray Lavietes honored, on
March 2, 1996, prior to the men's 87-67 win over Yale.
Facility Hours:
Not open for recreational use
Please wait while the ticker loads...
