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William Paterson University held a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony on Saturday, September 20 to celebrate the formal opening of the Pioneer Athletics Fieldhouse, an initiative designed to provide the institution’s student-athletes with the resources they need to compete and succeed at the highest level.
More than 300 alumni, faculty, staff, student-athletes, and friends of the institution attended the event, during which the University honored the lead donors to the Pioneering Champions Campaign, which raised funds in support of the fieldhouse addition and renovation project.
In recognition of a $250,000 donation from Stephen Adzima ’75, a former Pioneer football player and member of the William Paterson Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame, the University named the Stephen Adzima Strength and Conditioning Center in his honor. The gift establishes an endowed fund for ongoing support of the fieldhouse. In addition, in recognition of a $200,000 gift from the Estate of Alan J. Anderson ’81, William Paterson named the Alan J. Anderson ’81 Baseball Locker Room in his honor.
“I truly believe that athletics is one of the few places where college students from different walks of life and different backgrounds can come together to learn leadership skills and engage in team building,” said President Richard J. Helldobler. “It is clear that those whose names appear on these spaces that we dedicate today used those lessons to build successful careers and lives and are now giving back to the very community that helped them understand that in lifting others up, we not only enrich our lives, we enrich our souls.”
Adzima, who played on William Paterson’s first football team, which became an NCAA Division III team in 1972, was a three-time all-conference selection and in 1974 was named an All-American defensive end. He was inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.
“I’m very humbled today, and I thank the president and the Board of Trustees for this great honor,” he said. He recalled the support of former football coach and athletic director Art Eason, who was in attendance. “He had an interest in every one of us,” he said. “There is something special about this university. They made sure you had success. I am so thrilled to give back to this community.”
The late Alan J. Anderson ’81 served as co-captain of the William Paterson baseball team in 1979, 1980, and 1981. A member of the New Jersey All-Star Team his junior and senior years, Anderson was named to All-Conference, All-State and Academic All-America teams his senior year. His career batting average of .344, and his career 53 stolen bases and 37 walks put him in the top ten for William Paterson baseball all-time statistical records. In 1990, he was inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Glenn Anderson, Anderson’s brother, spoke on behalf of the family. “It is an honor and a privilege to have this locker room dedicated in Alan’s name,” he said. “Alan loved baseball and love his time at WP; it changed his life for the better.” He went on to thank former baseball coach Jeff Albies, who was also in attendance, for “suggesting that Alan come to the university. I hope that future players will ask about Alan and who he was when they see his name on the facility.”
Pam Ferguson, vice president for institutional advancement and president of the William Paterson University Foundation, also acknowledged the generosity of the alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and friends whose support of the Foundation’s Pioneering Champions campaign made the project possible. “Your belief in our mission and your commitment to our students have helped bring this vision to life,” she said. “The Pioneer Athletics Fieldhouse is a shining example of what we can achieve together. It’s more than a building—it’s a space where students will grow, compete, connect, and thrive. And it stands as a testament to the power of community and generosity.”
Adzima is the president and owner of Universal Electric Motor Service in Hackensack, served on the William Paterson University Board of Trustees from 2005 until 2014 and has been a supporter of the University and its athletics programs for more than four decades.
Anderson was the owner of Mahwah Honda and Acura of Ramsey; Mahwah Honda earned 11 Council of Excellence Awards, while Acura of Ramsey is the longest-running recipient of the prestigious “Jersey Cup” awarded by Acura to the highest-ranking dealer for customer satisfaction. He supported numerous local charities and organizations, and following his death in 2019, the Alan J. Anderson Foundation was established in his name to honor his legacy.
The project included a 4,000-square-foot addition which features a student-athlete-specific fitness center with strength training and cardio areas and roll-up glass garage doors facing Wightman Stadium. It also features an expanded athletic training facility; individual locker rooms for field hockey, softball, and women’s soccer; and a renovation of the existing football and baseball locker rooms. William Paterson fields 13 NCAA Division III intercollegiate teams and currently has 300 student-athletes.
