Franklin College has received a $1 million gift commitment to designate the basketball court in the Elwood Fitness Center as the “Wonder Five Court.”
The gift comes from Roger and Janice “Jan” Johnson of Scottsdale, Arizona, along with their two adult children, Greg Johnson and Heather Needham.
“I am tremendously grateful to the Johnson family for their loyal support,” Franklin College President Kerry Prather said in a statement. “This generous gift not only honors the legacy of the legendary Wonder Five teams, but it also moves forward a project that will enhance our fitness, recreational and athletic facilities. This gift will have a significant impact on current and future Grizzlies as we continue to expand the resources that enable a successful and fulfilling student experience.”
The Johnsons consider Franklin and the surrounding area as home, even though they are no longer residents. They own the Johnson Family farm located east of the college. Franklin, and especially Franklin College, have been a major part of the Johnson family for many decades with multiple family members graduating from the college and serving on the board of trustees, according to the college.
Roger Johnson’s great-grandfather, Andrew J. Johnson, served on the college’s board of trustees in the late 1800s. His father, Robert “Bob” Johnson, is a 1940 alumnus who served on the board for 28 years and was elected chair in 1976. Elizabeth “Betty” Flinn Johnson, his mother, also graduated from the college in 1941. Roger’s sister, Susan (Johnson) DeVoss, a 1965 alumna, has served as a trustee since 1997 and was elected as the college’s first female chair, serving from 2008 to 2013.
The Elwood Fitness Center was constructed in 1908 and expanded in the 1920s to accommodate the large crowds following the Franklin Wonder Five basketball team which was crowned national champion in 1923. The renovation and restoration of the facility will preserve the historic integrity of its exterior while fully modernizing the interior spaces. Those will include the Wonder Five Court and aerobic equipment on the main level as well as locker rooms, offices and support areas on the lower level for the athletic teams that compete in adjacent Faught Stadium, according to the college.
Renaming the basketball court for them preserves the team’s impact on the college and the Johson family’s love of basketball.
“Being Hoosiers has always meant basketball to us,” Roger Johnson said in a statement. “Name any team that has won three consecutive Indiana high school championships and a national collegiate title besides the Franklin Wonder Five team. Jan and I are very happy and proud to have a small part in preserving the great legacy of the Franklin Wonder Five at Franklin College.”
The Johnsons have given multiple major gifts over the years. They most recently established the Roger and Jan Johnson Family Scholarship and the Mack and Lucile Pritchard Maguire Family Scholarship, according to the college.
“Our hope is that these endowed scholarships assist future students in obtaining their dream of graduating from Franklin College,” Jan Johnson said in a statement. “We are also hopeful that the recipients will make positive contributions in their communities, become leaders and support future students in their dreams of getting a degree from Franklin.”
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