Southeast's football stadium opened in 1930

After playing on various and what several newspaper accounts reported to be unsatisfactory fields for more than 30 years, Southeast Missouri State University -- then known as Cape Girardeau Teachers College -- finally had a grand home for its football team.

On Oct. 3, 1930, Houck Stadium was dedicated after being constructed at a cost of $150,000. The field and stadium were named in honor of Louis Houck, who served for 39 years as a regent for the university and as president of the Board of Regents for 36 of those years.

Joseph A. Serena, then the president of the college, was credited with conceiving the idea that resulted in the stadium being built. The stadium is constructed on the site of a former rock quarry that was purchased in 1925 for $11,000 at the recommendation of Serena.

According to the Southeast Missourian, the new stadium "was impressively dedicated here with exercises in the forenoon Friday, attended by 5,000 persons who heard Gov. Henry S. Caulfield, President Joseph A. Serena of the College, Judge James A. Finch, vice president of the Board of Regents, and former Congressman James F. Fulbright deliver addresses."

That afternoon, a crowd of approximately 7,000 attended the football game against Southern Illinois-Carbondale, then known as Southern Illinois Normal University. SIU won 12-6. The referee for the opening game was James T. Blair, who eventually became governor of Missouri from 1957 to 1961.

The first game under the lights also was in 1930 and saw the Indians beat Haskell Institute 12-6 for their first victory in the new stadium.

An ad in the dedication program pointed out that 10,000 bags of Portland Cement, 23,000 feet of Oregon Fir seat lumber and 150,000 feet of Yellow Pine Form lumber were used in the construction of the stadium, which originally had 5,240 seats on the south side of the field.

Seating on the north side of the stadium was added prior to the 1963 season and a press box was constructed on the south side in 1979.

Various improvements to the old facility have been made, and Houck Stadium serves as the home of Southeast football to this day.