Stanford in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Gordon Hampton Oak
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, November 20, 2015
1. The Gordon Hampton Oak Marker
Posted as a sentry on the dark, damp night of November 17-18 1931, Gordon Hampton, '35, a frosh of only six weeks on the "Farm," stood under the adjacent oak tree to sound the alarm of any Cal attempt to torch prematurely the tower of RR ties before the "Big Game" bonfire at present day Frost Amphitheater. About 3 a.m. he sensed a barely audible "shush." He looked at his unresponsive co-sentry. Realizing the humiliating consequences of a false alarm, Hampton blew mightily on his police whistle, thus signaling to the nearby powerhouse to blast its steam whistle to arouse a slumbering campus. The warning was right, Cal attacked instantly. They had failed to muzzle him. All hell broke loose as Encina Hall frosh spilled out, engaging the enemy in fierce combat, with their bare hands pulling fire brands off the pyre, and thereby successfully defending the bonfire and saving the day (night).
Erected 1997.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Historic Trees series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 17, 1931.
Location. 37° 25.881′ N, 122° 9.864′ W. Marker is in Stanford, California, in Santa Clara County. Marker can be reached
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (approx. ¼ mile away); Wallenberg Hall (approx. 0.3 miles away); Robert Edouard Pellissier (approx. 0.4 miles away); James Grant Fergusson (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Gates of Hell (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Burghers of Calais (approx. 0.4 miles away); Restoration of the Stanford Campus (approx. 0.4 miles away); Motion Picture Research Commemoration (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stanford.
More about this marker. The marker is mounted flush to a low monument that is difficult to see from any distance.
Regarding The Gordon Hampton Oak. "For decades, Stanford rallied for Big Game with an enormous pregame bonfire. Before the 1912 rally, Stanford’s Gordon Hampton was charged with guarding the pyre. High up in a large oak tree on what is now the southwest corner of Galvez Street at Campus Drive East, near today’s Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation, he spied Cal partisans bent on mischief and sounded the alarm. A plaque below the tree explains how Hampton “saved the day.” In 1992, environmental
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, November 20, 2015
2. The Gordon Hampton Oak and Marker
The marker (or at least a bit of its monument) is visible here between the oak and the bench.
the gigantic pyres in Lagunita’s dry lakebed to the bonfire of history. Recently, Stanford’s Axe Committee resurrected the bonfire rallies using a safer bonfire torch. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Stanford fans each year pass by the Gordon Hampton Oak, symbol of Cardinal vigilance, en route from central campus to Stanford Stadium."
(Note the "1912" date provided above is incorrect.)
Also see . . . Stanford Axe. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on January 29, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Additional keywords. football
Credits. This page was last revised on January 29, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2019, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 231 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 16, 2019, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
