It was a rough season for the McDaniel football team, as the Green Terror finished 2019 with a 3-7 record and lost its last six games. It marked the third straight year McDaniel went 3-7, and the Green Terror has struggled in the Centennial Conference in recent years.
But through the struggles of the football program, there has been constant support, especially from one couple: the Remberts. Donald and Judith Rembert have been proud alumni of McDaniel since their graduation from the school in 1961 and 1960, respectively.
On Oct. 28, their legacy at McDaniel was even further cemented with the dedication of Rembert Field at Kenneth R. Gill Stadium. The field was named for the Remberts in honor of their support of the college and the numerous donations the couple has made throughout the years.
“[The ceremony] was wonderfully done,” Don said. “The staff couldn’t have done a better job. It was very, very well done, very dignified. It was great.”
A member of the McDaniel Board of Trustees since 2007, Rembert also played on the Green Terror football team from 1957-1960 alongside Gill, his roommate and a close friend throughout the years.
“Everybody felt like it was a great idea if Don was interested in it,” McDaniel athletic director Paul Moyer said. “The thought was that it would be a great honor to have Ken and Don in the same facility, side by side again, forever.”
Since their graduation, the Remberts have continuously donated time and money to the college, but it has never been an obligation to them. It’s a way to give back to their alma mater, which educated them and helped prepare them for the future.
“We’re very proud of it and we’re very thankful for it,” Don said. “They gave me an education that I probably would not have had. … It couldn’t be any closer to my heart.”
It’s an understatement to say the Remberts have left a lasting legacy on the school, starting with the Rembert House, named after the couple in 2011. The house was where McDaniel, originally named Western Maryland College, grew out of.
The Rembert House now holds a number of displays and is the home of the WMC Heritage Society, which Don and Judith started. The couple also helped contribute to the reconstruction and expansion of Gill Stadium in 2012.
“As part of all of the components of having the new stadium on campus, I think [the naming of the field] was an outgrowth of that,” McDaniel public relations director Cheryl Knauer said.
It was a historic moment for the college, something that will be talked about, along with the place that the Remberts have within the school and the athletic department.
For the football team, it was a teaching moment to show the traditions that have existed and carried on throughout the year and the importance the Green Terror has within the Westminster, Md., community.
“There’s an opportunity for our coaches to talk about the history and tradition of this program, what it means to those alums and what it means to be a player as McDaniel,” Moyer said. “Having his name on it gives them the opportunity to talk about the great tradition of Green Terror football.”
It’s also a way for Don to remember his playing career, one that could have begun nearby in Virginia, but thankfully for him, he chose McDaniel. Now, his legacy will forever be remembered.
“The four years I was at Western Maryland, the University of Virginia lost 28 straight football games,” Don said. “While we didn’t win them all, we had a fighting chance.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of McDaniel College