Give to the Payne Gymnasium Renovation

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Strategic Partnerships

We are currently seeking corporate partners and lead gifts for this impactful project. For information on sponsorships and building space naming opportunities, please contact Wyatt Warnick at wwarnick@westminsteru.edu or 801.832.2262. 

100 Years of History

For nearly a century, Payne Gymnasium has been a cornerstone of student life at Westminster University. Dedicated in 1929, the facility was named in honor of Frank Russell Payne, president of Westminster's Board of Trustees and manager of the local J.C. Penney Company, whose generosity helped make the facility possible.  

Designed by noted Utah architect Walter E. Ware, Payne Gymnasium provided much-needed recreation space not only for Westminster students, but also for the surrounding Sugar House community.

Since then, Payne Gymnasium has adapted to meet the changing needs of the Westminster community. It has served as home to athletic programs, physical education classes, campus celebrations, lectures, career fairs, orientations, and countless student events. From 1979 to 1999, it even served as the practice facility for the Utah Jazz.  

Today, Payne Gymnasium houses the Griffins' strength and athletic training facilities, an auxiliary basketball court, locker rooms, and offices for several athletic programs. As one of the University's most historic and heavily used facilities, Payne Gymnasium is in need of renovations to continue serving Westminster’s students. 

Payne Gymnasium

Payne Gymnasium was dedicated on January 11, 1929 

Looking to the Future—with Your Help

In addition to functionality and modernization updates, the focus of the renovation project is updating the current gym surface to high-quality turf. This new surface will help Westminster:

  • Expand strength and conditioning programs
  • Conduct enhanced specialist training sessions
  • Accommodate field sport practice during inclement weather
  • Create a more versatile space for community use 

Your gift to fund these critical improvements will enable us to preserve Payne Gymnasium’s historic character while enhancing its safety, accessibility, and functionality for today's student-athletes and campus community.  

Give online today to help us honor Payne Gymnasium’s legacy while preparing it for its next century of impact. 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the estate of Wood Moyle for their contributions toward making this renovation a reality. 

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Left: The original interior of Payne Gymnasium, largely unchanged today
Right: A rendering of the proposed improvements to the gymnasium