5/15/03

Bob Lowry, 334/844-9999

AUBURN BASEBALL FACILITY TO BE NAMED FOR AU TRUSTEE

W. James Samford

AUBURN -- Auburn University's intercollegiate baseball facility, Plainsman Park, will be renamed Samford Stadium at Plainsman Park during a ceremony Friday (May 16) honoring AU Trustee W. James Samford.

Samford, who has served as president pro tempore of the Board of Trustees since 1993, played a key role in helping convert Plainsman Park from one of the worst baseball facilities in the Southeastern Conference to arguably the best in the nation.

To honor his efforts, the Board of Trustees on April 4, adopted a resolution to rename the park the W. James Samford Stadium at Plainsman Park.

Athletic Director David Housel will preside over the ceremonies, starting at 6 p.m., at the park.

Other speakers will include Robert Lowder, a member of the Board of Trustees; AU President William F. Walker; Hal Baird, former AU baseball coach and now senior associate athletic director; and Samford.

Initial construction on the renovations of Plainsman Park began prior to the 1996 season with the completion of the grandstand and chairback seating. More seating was added last year to bring the total capacity to more than 4,000.

Earlier this year, the publication Baseball America ranked Auburn's state-of-the-art baseball park as the No. 1 collegiate baseball facility in the nation.

Samford is the great-grandson of Alabama Gov. William James Samford, for whom AU's historic Samford Hall was named. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees since his appointment in 1987 by former Gov. Guy Hunt. The Opelika native was reappointed for another term in 1999 by former Gov. Don Siegelman.

Samford earned a B.A. in political science from AU in 1972, and went on to get his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1978.

From 1978-1980, he was an attorney for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., in Washington, D.C. Upon his return to Alabama in 1980, he was appointed by Gov. Fob James as a member of the three-person Alabama Public Utility Commission -- the state agency that regulates in-state utility companies and trucking firms.

Samford, an Air Force veteran, later served as senior legal advisor to James before going into private law practice in Montgomery.

may03:AU-samford