The Camp Randall 100 is an exclusive list celebrating 100 people who have shaped Camp Randall Stadium's history across the realms of sports, music, culture and beyond. A new honoree will be revealed each day over the final 100 days leading up to kickoff of the Wisconsin football team's season opener with Utah State on Friday, Sept. 1. The Camp Randall 100 reveal is part of a year-long celebration of the history of the iconic stadium, which opened in 1917.
 

MADISON, Wis. — Drawing a crowd of more than 15,000 spectators, former Olympian and NCAA champion Don Gehrmann's favorite day at Camp Randall Stadium came in his last home competition as a student-athlete at Wisconsin.

Before smashing records as a distance runner in cross country and track, he also lived inside the stadium as a freshman, calling Room 408 home in his first year as a Badger.

Gehrmann, a member of UW Hall of Fame, passed away July 23, 2022 at the age of 95. 

Learn more about Gehrmann in his Camp Randall 100 profile.

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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider

Don Gehrmann, one of the greatest student-athletes in Wisconsin history, has a unique relationship with Camp Randall Stadium.

For one thing, it was once his home.

"Room 408," Gehrmann recalled.

Back in the 1940s, the Works Progress Administration, initiated by President Franklin Roosevelt in an attempt to spur economic growth, constructed dorms underneath the east bleachers.

In addition to room for 150 residents there was a rifle range as well as boxing and wrestling rooms.

The facilities were initially occupied by Naval trainees preparing for combat in World War II. When the conflict was over, the dorms were assigned to UW student veterans.

The quarters were subsequently named for Dave Schreiner and Bob Baumann, former Wisconsin football players killed in the Pacific Theater, before being transitioned to administrative offices starting in 1951.

Gehrmann, a record-setting distance runner in track and cross country, lived in the dorms as a freshman in 1946. His roommate was Don Kindt, a halfback and defensive back for the UW football team who would go on to be a first-round NFL draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1947.

Gehrmann said their small room featured bunk beds and overlooked the football field.

They were relatively humble accommodations for Gehrmann, whose reputation as one of the premier teenage milers in the nation preceded him from Pulaski High School in South Milwaukee.

Gehrmann competed for the Badgers from 1947 to '50 and distinguished himself in a variety of ways.

He was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1948, placing seventh in the 1,500 meters at the tender age of 19.

He won three NCAA outdoor titles — 1,500 in 1948 and the mile in '49 and '50, respectively — and twice finished second in the NCAA cross country meet.

He won 14 Big Ten Conference titles — 12 in track and two in cross country — and did so in four different track events: 880 yards, mile, two-mile and mile relay.

"It was a good career," he said, sitting on a sofa with his dogs, Katie and Charlie. "A young kid coming out of Pulaski High School, the south side of Milwaukee. Out of our 400 people who graduated, four went on to (college). I wouldn't have if it weren't for track."

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Don Gehrmann's favorite day at Camp Randall was his last as a student-athlete at Wisconsin.

It was June 20, 1950, when the best of the Big Ten faced their counterparts from schools on the Pacific Coast.

Posters featuring Gehrmann, trumpeting the 5 p.m. event, were found all over Madison. Reserved seats were $1.50, general admission $1 and high school kids paid 50 cents.

Gehrmann was asked what he remembered of the day.

"It's hard to say what the highlights would be," he said of that senior moment. "I remember the day because it was a very nice day. I remember the crowd because it was the largest crowd they've ever had.

"The big thing is I remember thinking this is my last meet at Camp Randall. I wasn't going to be a university student anymore."

According to Gehrmann, the Badgers staged two or three dual meets at Camp Randall every outdoor track season. He said they typically drew 5,000 to 6,000 spectators.

How many were there to see Gehrmann do his thing one more time?

"Fifteen thousand to 18,000," he said matter-of-factly.

The crowd contributed to Gehrmann's already heightened state.

"The last day was the toughest day," he said. "I had a lot of emotion. There wasn't anybody in the world that could have beaten me because you get yourself up so high and I was very competitive."

Gehrmann won the 880 in 1 minute, 52.9 seconds, the mile in 4:13.9 and anchored the winning mile relay in 3:20.9.

"That was a great day," he said. "It worked out very well."

Gehrmann shared the "big man on campus" marquee with Robert "Red" Wilson, a standout in football and baseball, and Don Rehfeldt, an All-American center in basketball.

Gehrmann said he knew both men well. Wilson was also a shot putter on the track team and Rehfeldt had many of the same classes as Gehrmann, who earned a degree in physical education in 1950.

"We were together quite often," Gehrmann said of the triumvirate. "We were members of the W Club, things like that."

Gehrmann said his usual Saturday routine in the fall was for him to compete in a cross country race in the morning, then go watch the Badgers play football at Camp Randall.

Gehrmann said most of his classes were located on Bascom Hill, which translated to a daily workout.

"That was certainly great exercise because I did it 100s of times," he said. "It was really good for me."

Gehrmann moved out of Camp Randall after his freshman year and lived in the West Side home of friend and future Madison dentist Jack Kammer.

At one point Gehrmann, known for his finishing kick, owned world records in the 880 yards (indoors) and the 1,000 yards (indoors and out).

From 1949 to '52, Gehrmann won 39 major mile races in Europe and North America. He ran in places like London, Prague, Brussels, Paris, New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

Gehrmann was a very big deal. A wall in the lower level of his home displays photos of him alongside Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the immortal Jim Thorpe and Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth.

"I got to know (Philip) pretty well because he liked track," Gehrmann said.

After graduation, Gehrmann married his high school sweetheart, Lori, and had five children: Don, Tim, Kathy, Jim and Sue. Lori died in January of 2016.

In 1954, Roger Bannister became the first person in the world to run the mile in under 4 minutes. Had Gehrmann known it would become such a celebrated achievement he might have approached his career differently.

"I just ran to win," he said. "I just remember there wasn't anybody that could have beaten me on those days because of my competitive urge, especially at the end. I didn't want to lose at the end.

"I never ran against the clock. Whoever wanted to run fast, I ran that fast or a little bit faster. If they didn't want to run that fast, then I never ran that fast.

"Because I had the kick, it was really easy for me because nobody could beat me in a sprint.

"I just ran to win."