District 186 is evaluating a request to change the name of Memorial Stadium to honor a Lanphier High graduate and longtime coach in the district.
A committee is reviewing the request from the daughter of Ray Ramsey, a Northender who played in the NFL for the Chicago Cardinals in the early 1950s before returning to Lanphier as a teacher and coach.
Ramsey – who was nicknamed “Rocket Ray,” and who served in the Second World War – passed away in 2009 at the age of 88.
Memorial Stadium is the home football field for both Lanphier and Springfield High School, and was named to honor local veterans.
In addition to the proposed name change, the district may consider other options – such as a plaque – to honor Ramsey.
Updated: The Springfield School Board said on Monday evening, January 30, that the name of Memorial Stadium will remain unchanged – but that it will consider naming certain features such as the track or the football field after Ramsey in the coming months.
