The Glore Gymnasium stands as a tribute to the abundance of athletic history at Lake Forest Academy. From the beginning, it has served many more purposes rather than just an athletic building. It has also been set to represent the four pillars of LFA: character, scholarship, responsibility, and citizenship.With the new athletic center under construction currently, there will be several upcoming changes regarding the Glore Gymnasium, along with the additions that will be placed in the new building.

Lake Forest Academy, established in 1857, understood the importance of providing an athletic building to support the different sports curriculums. This led to the founding of Glore Gymnasium in April 1953 which represented LFA’s commitment and encouragement of its students to pursue in physical education and sports. Glore Gymnasium, named after Charles F. Glore, a prominent figure in the school’s history who is known as, “a long time Trustee and benefactor of the Academy,” according to Rita MacAyeal, Director of the Library. The Glore family were also residents of Lake Forest which allowed for Charles to serve for several terms as the President of the LFA Board of Trustees. He fulfilled an important role in the relocation of the school campus. When he passed away in 1950, his widow gave a significant donation in order to help fund the construction of the building. The gymnasium’s foundation was an attestation to the dedication of the founders of LFA to support both the minds and bodies of the students. 

In its early years of development, the Glore Gymnasium stood as a humble yet functional structure, equipped with basic utilities in order to assist a range of athletic activities. The building contained a wooden gymnasium floor with bleachers, the clay floor for track, indoor baseball, and a lobby with lighted trophy cases. Along the east side of the building contained locker rooms, a supply store, showers, a boiler room, athletic offices, and quarters for a maintenance man, which all lead directly onto the playing field. The gym provided a space for students to engage in P.E.s and sports matches. Despite its modest beginnings, it quickly became a central spot on campus life, fostering a sense of community and healthy competition amongst the students. 

As LFA continues to grow and evolve, so does Glore. Currently, it is undergoing the addition of another building containing a bigger gym where all the basketball, volleyball, and badminton games will be held. There will also be an indoor track and more lockers will be built for different sports. There will be a secondary campus store to sell merchandise during games as well. Due to the new gym, the current Glore will be gutted out and get rid of all the basketball hoops as well as the bleachers which will allow more space for an indoor turf field. These enhancements will not only elevate the quality of athletic facilities and experience at LFA but also reflect the commitment of the school to progress the quality of student life.