The Dustbowl

From the roof of McElroy Commons, this webcam overlooks the Dustbowl, a hub of University life on the Middle Campus. The main path across this field leads to the Gasson Quad. Visible at right is Fulton Hall, home of the Wallace E. Carroll School of Management.

On the Dustbowl—officially labeled the Campus Green—scores of student clubs pitch tables during Student Activities Day in September; freshmen gather for a barbeque that precedes the annual academic convocation; and the Alumni Association hosts summer reunion events. In warm weather, students use the field for picnics, Frisbee, dodgeball, concerts, and as a place to study.

The Dustbowl was once the site of Alumni Field, which was dedicated in 1915. The football team, which was founded in 1892, played here intermittently until immediately before WWII, when games were moved to Fenway Park and later to Braves’ Field. According to the History of Boston College (1990), the largest crowd to gather on Alumni Field was likely the 25,000 who came to hear a 1941 band concert. Since 1957, home football games have been played in the 44,500-seat Alumni Stadium.