In 1944 the Fort Wayne Junior Chamber of Commerce first proposed the construction of a coliseum as a memorial to the men and women of Allen County who had lost their lives in both World Wars. Such a structure was envisioned as serving a twofold purpose; it would honor our heroic dead and would greatly increase recreational facilities. A Russell Sage Foundation study was made after World War II; the report indicates a definite trend among memorial planners to erect “living memorials,” which serve the people while honoring their heroes, rather than ornamental arches, statues, and monuments. The Foundation believes that this trend is commendable and hails it as a “triumph of common sense over sentimentalism.” Contemporary opinion seems to be that construction of a useful memorial in no way detracts from the honor paid to the dead. On the contrary, it is felt that the utility of the monument demonstrates our regard for them more forcibly by benefiting that society for which they died. The members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey of city residents and concluded that 78 per cent were in favor of the proposed coliseum. Two independent occurrences in 1944 added impetus to the movement. First, Psi Iota Xi Sorority sponsored an analysis of recreational facilities estimated to be needed by the city for a twenty-year period. The sorority submitted to the mayor a plan drawn up by Elwood Allen and George Nesbitt of the National Recreation Association. A memorial field house was one of the major recommendations of the plan. A memorial honoring General Anthony Wayne, the founder of the city, was also proposed in 1944. This memorial, too, was envisioned as a practical structure, and a field house was one of the suggestions. Both state and national funds could be employed to construct an Anthony Wayne memorial. The Junior Chamber of Commerce survey determined that popular opinion supported the project. Accordingly, that association hired Mr. Allen, who had drawn up general recreational plans for Fort Wayne, to make a further investigation of possible sites and building plans. It was immediately evident that a coliseum would be a costly construction; the cost would probably exceed two million dollars. The acquisition of funds was the first problem that had to be solved. James R. Fleming presided over the meeting at which the survey results were first discussed. He suggested building a coliseum as a memorial both to the dead of the two World Wars and to Anthony Wayne. He believed that financial aid could be obtained from the federal government in this way.