Francis Olympic Field served as the main site of the 1904 Olympics. It is named in honor of 1870 Washington University graduate David R. Francis, whose visionary efforts brought the Olympic Games to St. Louis in parallel with the 1904 World's Fair. After leasing this land for the games, the university began use of the field in 1905. This site was known as Francis Field for more than a century. In 2019 the International Olympic Committee bestowed the rare honor of renaming it Francis Olympic Field in recognition of its importance in Olympic history as the first modern-day Olympic stadium and birthplace of the gold medal. This recognition extends to the nearby Olympic Ring 'Spectacular' sculpture and a commemoration on the press box. The words included on the gate (The Francis Field) were updated in 2019 to reflect its unique "Olympic" designation.