A History of Purdue University Bookstores and the Purdue Memorial Union
The history of Purdue University bookstores is intertwined with the evolution of campus life and the development of spaces for students, faculty, and alumni to gather. From humble beginnings in the Village to the establishment of the Purdue Memorial Union (PMU) as a central hub, the university's bookstores and gathering spaces reflect the changing needs and aspirations of the Purdue community.
Early Bookstores and Gathering Spaces
In the early days of the 20th century, the Purdue University community felt the need for a place where campus life could gather and receive alumni and campus visitors. Students had been meeting in a room above Southworth's Bookstore in the Village. This informal arrangement highlighted the need for a dedicated space for students to congregate and engage with campus life.
Another significant bookstore in Purdue's history is Deac's Bookstore, which, sometime between the 1910s and 1950s, commissioned Jonroth Studios to import porcelain creamers depicting Purdue University's Fowler Hall. Deac's occupied the same building strip that Von's Bookstore occupies today off of State Street.
The Genesis of the Purdue Memorial Union
George O. Hayes, a member of the Class of 1912, first proposed the idea of a student union at Purdue University. The student council endorsed the idea, and the Class of 1912 established and contributed to a student union fund drive in lieu of a class gift. In previous years, each senior donated $5 toward the completion of the new Memorial Gymnasium. When the Memorial Gymnasium was completed, it was decided that senior donations would go towards a student union.
A constitution was prepared and approved at a mass meeting of students and faculty on April 17, 1912. A financial campaign committee consisting of students, faculty, alumni, the University President, and a trustee was formed. These fundraising drives were completely separate from university programs and were sponsored solely by students, interested faculty members, and friends of Purdue University. Those who contributed $100 or more became life members of the Purdue Memorial Union.
Read also: University of Georgia Sorority Guide
A Memorial to Service
At the close of World War I, Purdue University recognized the service of its students and alumni. The idea arose that the student union should stand as a permanent memorial to those 4,013 who had served and those 67 who had died for their country. This vision shaped the purpose of the PMU, imbuing it with a sense of honor and remembrance.
In 1920, a subscription plan was launched. On Armistice Day of that same year, the anniversary of the end of World War I, student leaders called a mass meeting in Fowler Hall to ask for student pledges. It is rumored that in order to ensure participation by all, they locked the doors and would not let anyone leave until a pledge had been assigned.
Construction and Design
A new constitution was drafted on September 22, 1921, and Jack Walters, as Student President, was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. Pond and Pond Architects from Chicago were chosen to design the building during the winter of 1921-22.
Groundbreaking took place on June 13, 1922, with Virginia C. Meredith chairing the event. David E. Ross, as chairperson of the Building Committee, turned over the first spade of earth, and general contractor A.E. Kemmer plowed the first furrow. The cornerstone was laid at Homecoming on November 25, 1922. In August of 1923, a crowd watched cranes put 25-ton sections of milled limestone in place to form arches over the main entrance of the building.
Construction continued through the latter part of 1923 when funds were exhausted. The following year, the Purdue Union Association formed as a separate financing corporation and secured a loan of $200,000.
Read also: History of the Block 'M'
Opening and Early Years
The partially completed building opened on September 9, 1924. At that time, the university consisted of 323 faculty and staff and 3,234 students. The sizable sum of $400,000 was still needed for completion. In 1929, it was deemed necessary and appropriate that the building be deeded to the trustees of Purdue University. Through their financial resources, bonds were issued to acquire the money needed for completion.
When the PMU opened in 1924, it was still only partially completed. The main floor had temporary pine floors, and the walls and ceilings had not yet been plastered. The second floor was not sufficiently finished in order to be available for use.
The ground floor of the original building housed the cafeteria, located on the southwest corner. It contained two sets of serving counters, designed to serve 1,000 people per meal. At the east end of the cafeteria was a soda fountain, the predecessor of the Sweet Shop, which was created as a separate facility in 1927. There was a billiard room located where the Sweet Shop was, as well as a barbershop.
At the center of the main floor was the Great Hall, originally designed as an informal gathering place for the main body of students. It also served as the official memorial area for Purdue University men who had served and given their lives for their country. The lounge spaces adjacent to the Great Hall were intended to accommodate overflow. There was a Men's Lounge, designed for reading, writing, and quiet conversation, and three reception rooms: one for men, one for women, and one general.
When the second floor was completed in 1929, it contained an Alumni Faculty Lounge and a Women's Lounge. The Women's Lounge included a kitchenette where off-campus females could prepare their own lunches.
Read also: Legacy of Fordham University
Reports written in the fall of 1924 by Jack Walters, first general manager of the PMU, indicated the student union could accommodate 28 different activities at the same time without interfering with each other.
Additions and Expansion
Additions to the student union began soon after its opening. The first wing of the Union Club Hotel, consisting of 60 guest rooms, was added in 1929. The East Wing, which included the Browsing Library, Bowling Lanes, and the Anniversary Drawing Room, was built in 1936.
The Presidential Busts
The Purdue Memorial Union is also home to a collection of busts depicting former university presidents. The oldest bust, depicting Lincoln, was a gift from the Class of 1904 on its 25th anniversary. It was presented to President Edward Elliott in 1929, and the Union’s Great Hall has been its home since. The university purchased busts of Ross and then-President Elliott in 1946 from Indiana artist Jon Magnus Johnson.
The collection remained limited until the 1990s, when the Purdue Research Foundation commissioned busts of the university’s remaining five former presidents from Ingle. A bust of Martin Jischke was added to the commissions after he took office. As Ingle completed the busts over several years, each was positioned in the Great Hall. The busts have since been moved to the Presidential Gallery in the East Main Lounge, just off the Great Hall. In 2012, the university unveiled a bust of France A. Córdova.
"The union is honored to be the caretaker of the Purdue University presidential busts," said Zane Reif, senior director of the Purdue Memorial Union.
tags: #university #bookstore #purdue #history
