Memorial Union Building - Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
N 44° 33.906 W 123° 16.734
10T E 477852 N 4934678
The Memorial Union Building has had additions added on the east and west ends since its erection in 1926.
Waymark Code: WMQ2W5
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 12/08/2015
Views: 1
The MEMORIAL UNION BUILDING (1928) at the south end of the West Quadrangle, was erected in 1928 to the memory of college men and women killed in the Spanish-American and World Wars. Student social events are held here, and here also are the department of journalism and the offices of student publications. In the COLLEGE HERBARIUM (open 8-12, 2-5 weekdays; 2-5 Sun.), in the basement, are 40,000 sheets of plant specimens. Oregon and the Northwest are especially well represented. The collection is augmented each year by about four thousand specimens.
Oregon State University created the Memorial Union Building as a combined student center and memorial in 1928. The idea for the building came in 1920, following the armistice of World War I. Student unions were gaining popularity at American universities in the early 1900s and OSU students wanted one of their own, and to honor the service people who died in the Spanish-American War and WWI. Students and faculty were very excited for the new building. Fundraising began quickly, with students initiating a $3 per term fee for the new building in 1923. By 1926, a fundraising campaign had garnered nearly $700,000, with more than $100,000 coming from students and faculty. Construction on the grand building was completed in 1928 and the Memorial Union quickly became the center of campus life.
The building still functions as a student union. It is a popular building, unofficially known as the campus “living room,” and is used for numerous activities, including student/faculty discussions, art exhibits, study groups, and recreation.
The College Herbarium mentioned in the WPA guide no longer exists in the basement and is now home to a bowling alley recreation center.