History Lessons: Union Growth

With the Michigan Union reopening on Jan. 13, Michigan Alumnus looks back at the building’s history.

By Gregory Lucas-Myers, ’10

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Read time: < 1 minute

In celebration of the Michigan Union reopening on Jan. 13, Michigan Alumnus looks back at the building’s long history. Originally a men’s club with billiards and bowling, it is now a mixed-use hub for all on campus.

1907: Inspired by the existence of unions at other universities, a group of male students at U-M campaigns for one of their own. With the support of the community, the students purchase and renovate the State Street house of Thomas M. Cooley, a former Michigan Supreme Court judge and U-M law professor. It functions as a temporary clubhouse until a permanent home can be established. *Photo courtesy of the U-M Bentley Historical Library*

1919: The Michigan Union opens after three years of construction and a temporary delay in 1918 to house 800 World War I soldiers in a finished part of the building. Designed by acclaimed architectural alumni and siblings Allen B., 1880, and Irving K. Pond, 1879, the building’s location is where Cooley House once stood. It was razed in 1916 to make space for the new Union. *Photo courtesy of the U-M Bentley Historical Library*

1925: Among other amenities in the new building—including telephone booths, a bowling alley, and a barbershop—a pool is included in the original plans but remains unfinished until 1925 due to lack of funds. It exists until 1966, when the cost of upkeep and waning popularity result in it being converted into office space for the Alumni Association. *Photo courtesy of the U-M Bentley Historical Library*

1937: A flurry of expansion starts in 1937. It includes an annex that becomes the Michigan Union Hotel, which stays open until the late 1970s, and the University Club, a two-story meeting space for faculty with a library. Bowling moves into the basement and becomes popular with students, especially those of the neighboring dorms that would officially become West Quad in 1939. The bowling alley ceases operations in 1982. *Photo courtesy of the U-M Bentley Historical Library*

1956: The completion of a new north wing for the Union expands the meeting and dining space and includes a student activities room in the basement. In addition, 1956 marks the official elimination of restrictions and conditions barring women from entering the Union through the front door. *Photo courtesy of the U-M Bentley Historical Library*

1970: The University Club, complete with a liquor license, moves to the main dining room. Membership is opened up to students and alumni, but attendance falls drastically in 1991, when the University prohibits the club from selling alcohol at nighttime events. *Photo courtesy of the U-M Bentley Historical Library*

1982: A $4.6 million renovation results in a number of measures to make the Union more student-friendly and a destination. The Campus Information Center opens a station on the first floor, and more retail spaces, including a ticket outlet and video arcade, open on the ground floor. *Photo by Michigan Alumnus magazine*

2020: Following its closure in May 2018, the Union reopens on Jan. 13 as a center of activity for the modern student population. The $85 million renovation features a host of usability and accessibility upgrades, including a mixed-use IdeaHub space for student organizations. Capping the renovation is the indoor courtyard with a glass ceiling, creating a year-round “indoor Diag” for events and gatherings. (Look for a photo essay in the spring 2020 issue of Michigan Alumnus magazine, in homes in late March, featuring the renovated spaces in the Union.) *Photo courtesy of the U-M Office of Student Life*

Gregory Lucas-Myers, ’10, is assistant editor of Michigan Alumnus.

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History Lessons: Union Growth

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