One afternoon in 1935 Jesse Owens set world records on this turf at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor. Opened in 1906 with a capacity of 46,000, it was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the opening of Michigan Stadium in 1927. The team’s success under Fielding H. Yost made Regents Field’s 800-seat grandstand inadequate, and Athletic Director Charles A. Baird was responsible for the construction of Ferry Field to replace that outdated site.
After football moved to Michigan Stadium, Ferry Field was converted to an outdoor track and field facility and continued in that role until 2018. One extraordinary afternoon in 1935 made this turf world-famous: Ohio State sprinter Jesse Owens set world records in the 220 yard dash, the 200 meter dash, the 220 yard low hurdles, the 200 meter low hurdles, and the long jump, and tied the world record in the 100 yard dash — all within a 45-minute timespan. A bronze plaque at Ferry Field commemorates Owens’ historic feat.
Find the bronze plaque near the track and picture Jesse Owens setting world record after world record here in under 45 minutes.