Like most good ideas, the idea of a college union started with debate. Literally.

The first edifice of its kind – the Cambridge Union – was built in 1815 to host contests by three student debating societies. The august Oxford Union came along in 1823, but it wasn’t until 1895 that the concept skipped across the pond with construction of the University of Pennsylvania’s historic Houston Hall.

These early unions most closely resembled private clubs, complete with dues-paying membership. (Houston Hall originally was for men only; some colleges would go on to build separate unions for women.) In addition to the all-important debating chamber, college unions featured some of the amenities we have come to expect today: a dining hall, billiard and card rooms, perhaps a swimming pool. On weekdays, members could spend their leisure time in the union’s lounges and study rooms; on the weekends, they could attend mixers or dances. Gradually, the members-only aspect faded away, and the college union came to be the “hearthstone” or “living room” of the campus – a congenial gathering place for students, faculty, alumni and anyone else who happened to visit.

At USC, the historic Gwynn Wilson Student Union rose on land donated by the Board of Trustees and was constructed, in 1927, with funds from student activities – particularly football ticket sales. Designed by architects John and Donald Parkinson, it helped define USC’s signature Italian Romanesque style. Faithful to the college union’s purpose, the Wilson Student Union’s whimsical terra cotta carvings salute leisure activities such as archery, volleyball, dance, singing, fencing and playing croquet.

Many “memorial unions” came into being around the same time, especially in the Midwest. Erected to commemorate the fallen alumni heroes of the Great War, these facilities featured the basic amenities of a college union, albeit with a more austere tone.

The real building boom came after World War II, when the G.I. Bill brought whole battalions of war veterans to universities. Accustomed to relaxing at the USO, this new breed of students arrived expecting similar outlets for camaraderie and extracurricular entertainments. Bowling alleys, movie theaters, ice cream parlors, barber shops and even full-service hotels sprang up to fill the void. From a debating society, the college union had turned into the university’s Main Street.  

“Now those facilities are aging,” says Elizabeth Beltramini, communications director of the 600-member Association of College Unions International.

“Many have already been replaced. But even facilities built as recently as the 1970s and ’80s are needing upgrades to their infrastructure – whether heating, cooling, electrical or wireless access.”

At USC, these improvements are on the way. – D.K.