George H. Hodges Field on the Bolles Upper School Campus. | The Bolles School
Published on February 6, 2026 at 2:56 pm
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The Bolles School of Jacksonville has received an $8 million gift from the estate of Kernan and George H. Hodges Jr. for the upkeep of a football stadium that bears his father’s name.
It is the largest single contribution ever made to the private school since its founding in 1933.
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The gift will be used for the long-term upkeep of the school’s George H. Hodges football field at the front of its Upper School campus on San Jose Boulevard.
The field is named in honor of former Bolles board of trustees member George H. Hodges.
“Hodges Field is where so many Bolles stories begin — from Friday nights under the lights to championship moments and personal firsts,” School Chief Advancement Officer Carol Nimitz said in a news release. “George and Kernan’s extraordinary estate gift safeguards this tradition and strengthens the future of every program and student-athlete who calls this field home.”
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Bolles history
The facility was originally named Dads’ Field in 1942 to recognize the dedication given by the fathers of Bolles students who built and maintained it. Nine years later, architect and contractor George H. Hodges offered advice and funding on the field’s rejuvenation, and school officials proposed it be renamed after him.
In 1955, the field was officially dedicated to Hodges during a game between Bolles and Fletcher High School. Hodges’ family rededicated it in 1976.
Two more rededications were made in 1984 and 2006 after substantial gifts from Hodge’s son and family, school officials said.
