When Bo Dixon took over the helm as Headmaster, among his priorities was facilities improvement. The much loved Eddies Gymnasium had done double-duty for more than 100 years as both a gym and performance space. New arts and athletics spaces would propel McDonogh to the head of the class as a top-tier school.
The question was which to build first—an arts or an athletic space. In the end, Dixon decided if the athletic facility was built first, it would generate momentum among the arts supporters to ensure that a performing arts space would come soon after. Funded with a lead gift from the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Foundation, the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Athletic Center opened in 1996 with four basketball courts, a wrestling room, a classroom, and a weight-training room. The Henry A. Rosenberg, Jr. ‘48 Aquatic Center, which includes an eight-lane, Olympic-size pool was added to the athletic complex in 2006.
