Christopher Miehl On September 20, 1975, President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford arrived at Pepperdine via Marine One, touching down on the soccer field. They were greeted by a crowd of 18,000—shattering an attendance record for campus events—at the new $2.5 million athletic complex, there to celebrate its completion. The complex was named Firestone Fieldhouse in honor of Leonard K. Firestone, a donor and member of Pepperdine’s Board of Trustees, the former president of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, and the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. Fri, 22 Aug 2025 13:39:24 -0800 011d65ad-a366-41b4-93ec-5254e9bba866