The PMU Story

In the early 20th century, Purdue students recognized the need for a place where campus life could gather and receive alumni and campus visitors. At the time, students met in a room above Southworth’s Bookstore in the Village, while peer institutions had already built or were in the process of building student unions.

In 1912, student leader George O. Hayes (Class of 1912) proposed a Purdue student union. The student council endorsed the concept, and the Class of 1912 launched a fundraising effort in place of a traditional class gift. A constitution was approved on Apr. 17, 1912, and a campaign committee — composed of students, faculty, alumni, the university president and a trustee — was formed to guide the effort.

Two years later, in 1914, the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) was founded, reflecting a growing national movement toward student unions as centers of campus life; one Purdue helped establish as a founding member. The Purdue student union fund continued to grow until momentum was stalled by the onset of World War I.

Following World War I, the purpose of the building took on deeper meaning. The union was re‑envisioned as a permanent memorial to the 4,013 Purdue men and women who served and the 67 who gave their lives in defense of their country. From that point forward, the building became known as the Purdue Memorial Union (PMU). 

In 1920, a subscription plan was launched. On Armistice Day that year — the anniversary of the end of World War I — student leaders called a mass meeting in Fowler Hall to secure pledges. It is rumored that, to ensure full participation, the doors were locked and no one was allowed to leave until a pledge had been assigned. These drives were separate from university programs and were sponsored solely by students, interested faculty, alumni and friends of Purdue. 

Contributions of $100 or more earned life membership in the PMU. The names of those who fulfilled their pledges prior to 1947 are permanently inscribed in bronze on the main floor of the PMU. 

A new constitution was drafted on Sep. 22, 1921, and Jack Walters, serving as Student President, was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors.

In the winter of 1921–22, Pond & Pond Architects of Chicago were selected to design the PMU. Brothers Irving and Allen Pond had already established a substantial Midwestern portfolio, including private residences, hotels, churches and public buildings, and were emerging leaders in student‑union design. By that time, they had designed and completed student unions at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the University of Kansas. The Michigan Union influenced PMU’s building committee during its architect search. As the Ponds neared the completion of their five‑year project in Ann Arbor, Purdue was shaping its own vision for an ideal student union — one that would blend hospitality, daily campus life and a living memorial purpose.

At the dedication, Irving Pond described the building as an expression of “poise and physical and spiritual strength and firmness shot through and modified by spiritual aspiration.” He believed its purpose was twofold: that the broad, simple and harmonious masses would proclaim the freedom and unity of life within, and that the architectural details and ornamentation, inside and out, would serve that unified life by symbolizing the harmonious interplay of structural forces — and, by extension, an ordered society. Throughout the PMU, this philosophy is made tangible in its design: stained glass windows symbolize the mixing of students of all races and creeds; interior stone arches reflect strength and individuality; and upswept window arches capture the energy and spirit of youth. For Pond, the PMU was ultimately a symbol of social solidarity, of life itself.

Groundbreaking took place June 13, 1922, with Virginia C. Meredith chairing the event. David E. Ross, chair of the Building Committee, turned the first spade of earth, and general contractor A.E. Kemmer of Lafayette plowed the first furrow. The cornerstone was laid at Homecoming on Nov. 25, 1922. In August 1923, crowds gathered to watch cranes place 25‑ton sections of milled limestone that formed the arches over the main entrance. Construction continued through the latter part of 1923, when funds were exhausted. The following year, the Purdue Union Association was formed as a separate financing corporation and secured a $200,000 loan. To support repayment, students paid a $4 per‑semester fee. 

The partially completed building opened Sept. 9, 1924. At the time, the main floor had temporary pine floors, and walls and ceilings had not yet been plastered; the second floor was not usable, as it had not been sufficiently finished. Purdue then consisted of 323 faculty and staff and 3,234 students, and an additional $400,000 was still needed to complete the building. In 1929, the union was deeded to the trustees of Purdue University, who issued bonds to secure the remaining funds. The student fee, initiated in 1924, continued to provide financial stability as construction moved forward. The original building was completed later that year. 

From the beginning, the PMU supported dozens of student organizations, dining operations and social spaces. Reports written in the fall of 1924 by Jack Walters, the PMU’s first general manager, noted that the PMU could accommodate 28 different activities at the same time without interfering with one another. In its first year, the cafeteria, soda fountain and catering operations generated approximately $54,000 in gross income and, despite a 50% food cost, reported a 3.5% net profit, demonstrating early financial sustainability. 

The ground floor of the original building housed the cafeteria and featured two serving counters designed to serve 1,000 people per meal. At the east end of the cafeteria was a soda fountain, the predecessor to the Sweet Shop. Also located on the ground floor was a billiard room, later replaced by the Sweet Shop (1927) and a barbershop. A beauty shop for women was added in 1929. 

At the center of the main floor was the Great Hall, designed as an informal gathering place for the student body and serving as the official memorial space honoring the Purdue men and women who had served and given their lives for their country. Lounge spaces adjacent to the Great Hall accommodated overflow and included a Men’s Lounge intended for reading, writing and quiet conversation, along with three reception rooms — one for men, women and one general. The South Ballroom, originally known as the Assembly Room, was designed to host special dinners, dances and large gatherings. 

When the second floor was completed in 1929, it added an Alumni‑Faculty Lounge and a Women’s Lounge, which included a kitchenette where off-campus females could prepare their own lunches. The floor also provided much‑needed offices and meeting rooms for student organizations, many of which had previously relied on limited space in the library.