The Frank Porter Graham Student Union: A Hub of Student Life at UNC-Chapel Hill
The Frank Porter Graham Student Union at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill stands as a testament to student activism, evolving campus needs, and the legacy of a transformative university president. From its conceptualization driven by student voices to its role as a central gathering place and a site of both celebration and contention, the Union reflects the dynamic history of UNC-Chapel Hill.
The Genesis of a Modern Union
As early as the 1950s, students began advocating for a new student union building. On February 6, 1954, Charles Kuralt, then an editor for the Daily Tar Heel, famously described the existing union, the Edward Kidder Graham Memorial (named for Frank Porter Graham’s uncle), as a “ragged, starving orphan” compared to those at other universities. Kuralt's sentiment resonated with many students who felt that Carolina's facilities were inadequate.
Throughout the mid-1960s, other universities in North Carolina were also seeking to improve their student unions. North Carolina State University requested approval from its Board of Trustees for a new union in 1965, and in 1966, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte sought additions to their unions.
Students were at the forefront of the historical development of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union at Chapel Hill. The growing student body demanded its existence, and student publications like the Daily Tar Heel championed its contents and central location. Student fees funded its construction and renovation, and students determined its expansion and facilities through votes.
Architectural Debates and Design
Plans moved forward to design and begin constructing the building once funding was approved. The architectural model for the new building departed greatly from the classical style of other buildings on campus. Haywood Smith argued that building in the new modern style would, in the long run, “result in a conglomeration of ‘contemporary’ (hence outmoded by contrast with subsequent construction) architecture thrown together without any apparent plan or foresight.” Arthur Ringwalt countered that modern buildings were the most efficient means of creating spaces for modern learning. The continued discussion of the building throughout the building process revealed how invested students were in its creation.
Read also: The Legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright
Construction, Expansion, and Renovation
Construction on the original 100,000-square-foot Frank Porter Graham Student Union was completed in 1969. It included meeting facilities, student offices, lounges, a billiards and game room, a bowling alley, administrative and Activities Board offices, an art gallery, and a 400-seat meeting room known as the Great Hall.
To maintain its functions as a modern union, the facility has been renovated since its initial construction. In 1975 the building was renovated to make sure that the facilities were handicap accessible. In the summer of 1980, a $1.75 million expansion of the original building was completed, adding approximately 20,000 square feet. This addition housed a 400-seat auditorium, dressing rooms, a ticket booth, meeting rooms, organizational offices, space for campus publications, and the student radio station WXYC.
In June 2000, construction began on a 40,000-square-foot expansion. Renovation of the original facilities began in Spring 2002. After years of expansion, however, students voted down a 2011 plan to undertake yet another renovation.
A Name of Significance: Honoring Frank Porter Graham
The new, modern union was named for Frank Porter Graham, a progressive figure and the first president of the consolidated university system. Graham, born in 1886, graduated from UNC in 1909 and later became secretary of the YMCA after completing his master’s degree at Columbia University.
Graham served as dean of students, assistant professor, and associate professor, and eventually became a full professor of history in 1927 even though his graduate education had not resulted in a doctorate degree. Graham became known as one of the university’s most enthusiastic and highly regarded professors, and became very popular among students, attracting a large and diverse following to his courses. In 1930, Graham was named president of UNC-Chapel Hill, a role he served in until 1949. During his tenure as president, which spanned the years of the Great Depression and World War II, UNC-Chapel Hill came to be known as one of the nation’s leading public universities, and Graham advocated for causes such as freedom of speech, financial support and scholarships for students, and helping those in need during the years of the Depression.
Read also: Guide to Frank Green Offers
As President of the UNC system, Graham was known for being focused on students. He often held open houses on Sunday evenings for students to come and discuss matters with him. Shortly after he was appointed as a Senator, an article in the Daily Tar Heel titled “Leader of Men” praised him.
Graham's commitment to social justice extended beyond the university. During World War II, he served on the War Labor Board, advocating for policies that would end racial distinctions in federal labor policies. He was also involved with the Southern Conference for Human Welfare.
When Graham learned that the new building would be named for him, he expressed his deep appreciation to the Board of Trustees, acknowledging the honor with gratitude and humility.
The Pit: A Crossroads of Campus Life
The Frank Porter Graham Student Union's location is integral to its function. The Union, along with the Josephus Daniels Student Stores and the Robert B. House Undergraduate Library, frames a central gathering space known as "the Pit." The Pit is a sunken, brick-surfaced open space situated at a major crossroads between paths that lead to Polk Place (where many academic classes were located), South Campus (where new dormitories were being built), North Campus (where many other students lived), athletic facilities and dining halls. Framing this crossroads were the locations where students studied, bought their books, ate and participated in student activities.
The Pit has become a social space where students sit and talk between classes and a key gathering space for student organizations. The physical presence of the Carolina Union in the Pit extended the Union’s influence beyond its walls and into the new heart of campus and the student body.
Read also: The Impact of Frank Luntz
The Graffiti Cube: A Canvas for Expression and Conflict
A "graffiti cube" was first placed outside the union in 1971 by the Gallery Committee of the Union. Initially unregulated, the cube operated on a first-come, first-served basis, with the unspoken rule of respecting event advertisements until after the event had passed.
The use of the cubes has not been without conflict. Disputes over access to the meeting space have often revealed ideological splits in UNC’s student body and the state itself.
Controversies and Social Issues
The Frank Porter Graham Student Union has been a site where broader social and political issues have played out. In the early 1990s, the Daily Tar Heel, whose offices were located in the Union, published articles and supported movements that members of the conservative student legislature opposed, leading to attempts to evict the paper from its offices.
In 1970, James Cates, a black man who worked on campus, was stabbed in the Pit by members of a white motorcycle gang. Forty-four years later, a protest was held in the Pit following the decision of a jury to not indict Police Officer Darren Wilson, after he shot Michael Brown, a black teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri. These events highlight how race, racial inequity, and racial discrimination have historically been and remain key areas of contention on campus.
tags: #frank #porter #graham #student #union #history
