[3] Legend has it that three days before his death on September 3, 1939, he was asked what he wanted for the 25th anniversary of his priesthood, to which he replied, "You give the boys a new gym and I'll be happy."

Though he did not live to see it, ground was broken for construction of the new gymnasium on May 20, 1950, the cornerstone was laid on October 14, 1950, and the official ribbon-cutting and opening was held December 8, 1951.

[7] McDonough's opening allowed the Georgetown men's team to move back on campus, and it was the home court of the Hoyas for 30 seasons, from 1951-52[8][7] through 1980-81.

[21] The James "Jabbo" Kenner League — officially known as "Nike Pro City Summer League-Washington" since 2007 — provides a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-structured environment in which Washington, D.C.-area high school and college players gain experience.

"[26] However, disputes over money and a fraying relationship between Georgetown and Nike Pro City[27] led Nike Pro City to move the 2024 Kenner League competition to A. C. Jordan Arena at Bowie State University in Prince George's County, Maryland,[28] and no Georgetown players took part in 2024.

[32] Many concerts have been held at McDonough Gymnasium, including shows by Count Basie, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, and the Grateful Dead.

[citation needed] When it opened in 1951, McDonough Gymnasium had a stage for theatrical performances and housed coaches′ offices, weight rooms, a squash court, and the university's physical education and student health programs.

[3][5] Until Yates Field House opened in 1979, McDonough Gymnasium was the only facility for intramural sports on the Georgetown campus.

[3] McDonough Gymnasium's aging practice and training facilities had long been considered overcrowded and obsolete[35] when, on September 12, 2014, Georgetown held a groundbreaking ceremony for the four-story, 144,000-square-foot (13,378-square-meter) John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center, whose northwest corner is adjacent to the southeast corner of McDonough.

Officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 6, 2016 — the first new intercollegiate athletic facility constructed at Georgetown since McDonough[1] — the Thompson Center serves all 29 of the university's varsity sports programs – providing them with locker rooms, practice courts, and other training facilities – and houses the offices of the men's and women's basketball programs.

[1][3] In 2000, Georgetown's athletic director unveiled a $22 million proposal to renovate McDonough Gymnasium, modernizing it to serve as a "convocation center" with an improved capability to host both athletic and social events, as well as provide an on-campus basketball venue that met the standards of the original Big East Conference.

[1] The proposal involved leaving the building's walls standing and avoiding any increase in its height, and digging down into McDonough's foundation to create a bowl-type basketball arena with a seating capacity of 6,000 to 7,000, with the basketball court rotated 90 degrees from its existing configuration,[1] as well as the construction of a new practice facility adjacent to McDonough.