Purdue Memorial Union records

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: UA 111

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Purdue Memorial Union records contain information regarding the construction of the building, its uses, and promotional materials throughout its existence, including the student petition to raise funds and encourage the Board of Trustees to finish the building when construction was delayed due to World War I. Several pamphlets contain floor plans of the Union and show how the building has changed over the years with new additions.

Dates

Creation: 1920 - 1999

Creator

Purdue University (Organization)

Language of Materials

Collection material is in English.

Access Information

The collection is open for research.

Copyright and Use Information

Historical Information

The original idea for the Purdue Student Union was created by George O. Hays and the class of 1912 to serve as an activity center for Purdue students, alumni, and faculty. After World War I, it was thought that the Union should stand as a permanent memorial to those 4,013 who had served and the 67 who died and was named the Purdue Memorial Union. Ground was broken on June 13, 1922, and the cornerstone was laid on November 25, 1922. In 1923 funds were exhausted and a Union Memorial Campaign was established to gain subscriptions from Alumni to help pay for the completion. The partially completed building was operational from September 9, 1924, and its official opening came five years later on November 26, 1929. The Purdue Memorial Union features several tributes to those who served and died in the first World War: A dedicatory tablet inscribed with the names of the fallen 67 "Gold Stars," the memorial window above the south entrance, and a gold and black cross inlaid in the floor just inside the south entrance.