“Preinkert Field House sits quiet most of the time, rarely drawing attention to itself. But its history is colorful and mysterious. The field house was named for Alma Preinkert, a university registrar who was brutally murdered 60 years ago. Her killer was never found.” — Beena Raghavendran
Sometimes in the evening, Preinkert Field House lights up and fills with music as people exercise in its studio. The building blends into the landscape of South Campus, nearly indistinguishable from the other red brick buildings nestled in the campus’ southwest corner. The adjacent street, Preinkert Drive, shares its name.
Inside are a few academic spaces, including sites for the public policy school, the theatre, dance and performance studies school and the arts and humanities college, as well as the main office of The National Center for Smart Growth. The second-floor dance studio belongs to the dance program, according to a sign on its wooden door, with instructions to remove shoes before entering.
Preinkert Field House sits quiet most of the time, rarely drawing attention to itself. But its history is colorful and mysterious. The field house was named for Alma Preinkert, a university registrar who was brutally murdered 60 years ago. Her killer was never found.
The homicide made headlines throughout the area and struck a chord with many in the university community. On March 12, 1954 — almost 60 years ago to the day — the Board of Regents voted to name what was then called the Women’s Field House after Alma Preinkert.
Alma’s murder in the early hours of Feb. 28, 1954, was dramatic. According to a story in the Sunday Star published on March 21, 1954, an intruder forced his way into the house Alma shared with her sister, Alvina, and attacked Alma. Alvina defended herself from the man, who slashed her with a knife or ice pick in retaliation.
Alma’s brother-in-law, Charles Simper Heine, who lived adjacent to Alma with her sister Margaret, rushed over, only to to find her close to death. The Sunday Star reported the following conversation:
“‘Simper, they are killing us,’ Miss Alma cried.
She reached out a hand.
‘Kiss me and hug me, I’m dying,’ she said.
She collapsed in his arms, murmuring, ‘Goodbye.’”
Alvina survived the attack, but Alma didn’t. Alma was 58, The Diamondback reported on March 1, 1954. The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun then reported on Alma’s killing because of her position at this university, said university archivist Anne Turkos.
On the day of her funeral, classes were canceled so students could attend, according to a Diamondback article from March 3, 1954. Turkos said that the chapel couldn’t fit all the students who wanted to attend though, so they stood in the rain and listened to the ceremony through loudspeakers.
Students called her “Miss Preink,” according to an article from this university’s news desk. The same article cites a former female student who called Alma an “enormous influence for good.” Alma had worked as registrar since 1936, attended this university and was president of the Maryland Federation of Women’s Clubs.
“Even at that time, there were thousands of students here,” Turkos said. “To indicate that the registrar had an impact on so many lives indicates she must have been a very special person.”
The Women’s Field House was dedicated in 1931. Construction happened on the Women’s Field House and Ritchie Coliseum simultaneously, Turkos said.
Before more modern amenities such as Cole Field House and Eppley Recreation Center allowed women and men in the same facilities, men and women were separate, according to Turkos. Administrators decided the Women’s Field House was needed because of the growing population of female students on the campus. It was Adele Stamp, then dean of women, who helped champion the growth of athletic opportunities for female students on the campus.
The field house was filled with basketball, badminton and possibly archery, Turkos said.
Today, the sign outside reads “Preinkert Hall.” The academic spaces aren’t large. Some of the rooms look old and if you climb up the field house steps, the air is stuffy. Many students have never even been inside.
But the Preinkert Field House remains a time-tested landmark. It has seen decades of the struggle for women’s rights. And some nights, with the music booming on South Campus throughout much of Preinkert Drive, it feels as though Alma’s spirit never left.
