The Bobby Tully Gymnasium (in full Lucy McDaniel Court at Robert Tully Gym) is a 2,500 seat multi-purpose arena at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida that serves as the home for the Lady Seminoles volleyball team and offices of the student recreation department. A million-dollar donation in the late 1990s paid for a renovation that included lighting, armchair seating (which reduced capacity) and gymnasium flooring. In November 2000 the facility was renamed to honor Lucy McDaniel.
History
Teams
The building was constructed and opened in 1956[1]
as the venue for Men's basketball and gymnastics, followed by women's basketball. At the time, a gym with 4,200 bleacher-style seats was considered large. The women’s volleyball team began competing in 1973[1] and the gym was referred to as "Tiny Tully".[2] When the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center opened in 1981, men's basketball moved there,[3] followed by women's basketball in 1995.
Namesake
The gym was named for Robert Henry Tully. At 24, he was the first FSU varsity athlete to pass away. Bobby was a World War II veteran who played football, was an Alpha Tau Omega brother and member of Omicron Delta Kappa and Gold Key societies. He graduated in 1952 and died in 1954 after a lingering illness.[4] His brother Jim was a real estate agent who helped found Capital Regional Medical Center; older brother Jack was the 1947 captain of FSU's first football team. His mother Winnie was the first juvenile officer in Leon County from 1942-1971.[4]
Other uses
The arena played host to the Rolling Thunder Revue Tour on April 27, 1976, headed by Bob Dylan.
