Cowboy Chronicles: Introducing the Student Union in 1950

Cowboy Chronicles: Introducing the Student Union in 1950

Friday, September 19, 2025

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Associate Director of Media Relations | 405-744-5540 | [email protected]

Seventy-five years ago, one of the largest structures built at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College was completed after two years of construction.

Located near the center of the original campus, the Student Union building symbolized the growth and expanded student services available at the college.

OAMC students supported establishing a student center when they first became residents on campus in 1909. Students living off campus also recognized the need for a facility to host student events and activities, centralize enrollment and house student government.

In 1916, student leaders began campaigning with the Former Student Association/Alumni Association to propose fundraising efforts for a new student union. Proposals resurfaced in 1920 and 1926 as colleges nationwide built student unions.

In 1927, there was a proposal to construct a $200,000 Student Union near Old Central, which then-college president Bradford Knapp supported. This proposal may have been related to a front-page editorial in the student newspaper envisioning an ideal campus of the future published on May 20, 1927. The editorial, author unknown, suggested major changes to the scale and scope of the campus. It also indicated that OAMC would be known as Oklahoma State University and include a student center. However, Knapp resigned in 1928, and student union plans were stalled once again.

Dr. Henry G. Bennett arrived to replace Knapp in the summer of 1928 and may have read the editorial article titled "Utopian Institution" from the preceding year. Within a year, Bennett proposed a 25-Year-Plan for significant expansion to college facilities and again included a student union.

Roughly 2,000 students, almost 50% of the student body, signed a petition in 1936 supporting construction. Additional editorials and newspaper articles appeared over time. With the Great Depression and then World War II, campus construction plodded along without progress toward a student center. But the dramatic increase in student enrollment due to the GI Bill at the war's end stimulated significant campus developments.

In 1947, a Student Union proposal was part of a $9 million bond authorization, including construction of additional residence halls, an infirmary and a power plant. As the proposed union grew and higher construction costs rose, the original estimate of $1.7 million doubled to $3.4 million when construction began in 1948. Accompanying utilities, furnishings and fees would increase the bond request to $3.86 million, and actual costs would exceed $4 million.

With no available funds to begin the project, the development of the Student Union was dependent upon the sale of these revenue bonds. Revenue collected from various sources would be pooled and pledged to pay off the bonds and interest. These revenue streams included a new student fee of $10 per semester and $5 for summer school, which covered half of the projected income from the facility. Profits from the attached hotel, food service operations, bookstore, game rooms and retail stores would also be applied to paying the bonds and interest.

Excavation began at the Student Union site during the summer of 1948. The plan called for a modified Georgian style building, the architectural style first introduced to campus under Bennett and college architect Phil Wilber. To allow for utilities, a sub-basement was needed, and the digging went deeper than any previous location on campus.

With a basement and five floors, the Student Union provided 228,715 square feet of flooring and almost 3 million cubic feet of area. But the most unique and inspiring new feature provided in the building was that it would be air-conditioned, the first facility on campus to circulate and cool the air temperatures indoors.

The basement housed an eight-lane bowling alley, pool/billiards, ping pong, pinball (games room), and several meeting rooms. There were also stock rooms for the bookstore, storage space for hotel and food service operations on the first floor, mechanical equipment rooms and maintenance shops for repairs and upkeep of the building.

A large cafeteria with a capacity for 450 diners was on the ground floor, center section. Three private dining rooms, a main kitchen and a coffee shop were nearby. The north section of the ground floor housed an expanded bookstore. The barber shop, retail stores and the post office were situated along the west side and to the south was the hotel lobby. The hotel was designated the Union Club to distinguish this area from the rest of the facility.

The expansive main ballroom dominated the center of the second floor and, with 20-foot ceilings, eliminated that section of the floor above. Banquets were held here, serving up to 800 and dances could hold 1,500 individuals. There was a small stage at the north end of the ballroom. The east wall was filled with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to Old Central. A grand lobby and terrazzo hallway/promenade led attendees to the main entrance on the west side. There was a smaller lobby at the north end by the elevator that led to the council room, decorated with a large conference table, wood décor and fireplace. The Student Union director and immediate staff had offices just south of the council room. At the south end, across from the promenade and next to the grand lobby, was the formal French Lounge.

The Union Club had its own wing on all floor levels at the southern end of the Student Union. There were dining facilities, a lobby and its own elevator providing access to all 81 guest rooms. Single rates were $4.50 per night and a double cost $6.50.

The west wall of the ballroom contained a balcony on the third floor where spectators could view the activities below. The Chinese and Modern Lounges were west of the ballroom balcony, with a card room between them. The north wing of this floor provided office and small meeting spaces, and the Union Club filled the south wing. Some rooms were designated as smoking areas on this and other floors.

The Starlight Terrace was the highlight of the fourth floor. Located above the Grand Ballroom, it was open to the sky above and hosted many evening dances. There were four additional dance floors at other locations in the building. The Starlight Terrace also served as a vista for visitors to look out over the original campus located to the east.

The Starlight Fountain and Snack Bar served refreshments throughout the day and into the evening, becoming a popular gathering location for students and campus visitors. Nearby was a covered lounge that connected the Starlight Terrace to an exhibit area.

The fourth floor also had a music room, dormitory-style rooms for visiting teams, and a small apartment for the director.

The fifth floor was only at the building's center and had the least square footage of any floor. It was originally dedicated as a location for mid-sized groups to meet.

John R. Raedeker, an OAMC alumnus originally from Cushing, Oklahoma, and interior designer in New York City, was selected to provide design ideas for public spaces. Raedeker traveled to Europe and was authorized to acquire imported antiques from England, France and central Europe. He also arranged for furnishings and furniture from leading manufacturers in the U.S. for the lounges and collected items from East Asia.

The American Institute of Cooperation, comprised of 1,500 members, was the first group to gather at the Student Union on Aug. 21-24, 1950. The unfinished building opened temporarily for AIC use only. It immediately closed again until it officially opened on Sept. 9 for Bennett to address the college faculty in the second-floor grand ballroom.

Within the first week, the student-sponsored Howdy Dance, which was free and commonly held at the beginning of each new academic year, took place on the Starlight Terrace with Charlie Keys and his Collegians providing the tunes. At another event that week, Jimmy Clayton and his Varsitonians provided dance music for 1,500 students gathered in the ballroom for the annual Ribbon Dance. The Union Club accepted its first room reservation on Sept. 10 from David Lilienthal, former head of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, who was visiting campus.

Although open, many areas were still under construction. The bookstore would open in mid-September with the games room, most of the businesses, eating and banquet areas, and offices opening during the remainder of the fall semester. An average of 10 tons of coffee was brewed, and 1 million people served meals during the initial years after opening.

The Student Union contained over 200 rooms, six dance floors and a browsing room with hundreds of books and magazines. There were eventually 21 meeting rooms, and five Stillwater businesses leased space: Peyton Glass provided women's and men's casual wear, Reichman's Florist, Creech's Sports and Gift Shop, with barber and shoeshine shops also available. The convenience of a U.S. Post Office onsite proved to be very popular.

The Student Union's first director, Chester A. Tibbetts, reported individuals swinging the chandeliers, dirty boots on carpets and furniture, and courting activity in the lounges.

Tibbetts decreed: "As long as they had one foot on the rug, they should not be disturbed." Liquor bottles were discovered behind curtains, in drawers and under cabinets after parties.

There had also been souvenir hunters collecting engraved OAMC dinner knives and silverware, stainless steel serving plates, ashtrays and brass lamps, which needed to be replaced.

The new Student Union needed students to assist with the new facility's operations. Over 400 student employees were hired to work in all areas of the building. Students worked as pin setters, servers, shop assistants and custodians. The Student Union Advisory Board was created to assist with planning and procedures for building management and use. Comprised of 21 student members, this group was instrumental in designing and providing programs meeting student interests while also serving as a voice to communicate administration and student concerns with the campus to correct inappropriate activities.

The new OAMC Student Union was affectionately compared to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City for its opulence and amenities.

The Student Union's primary purpose and function to serve as a center for student life, relaxation, enjoyment, education and engagement has remained constant despite many changes over 75 years. For generations of students, it has become their campus home.

Photos by: OSU Archives

Story by: David C. Peters | STATE Magazine