History

In 1930 male students on the St. Paul campus were granted use of a small section of Old Dairy Hall known as the Gopher Hole. A full-time manager was hired in 1932 to manage the Union, and in 1934 the ‘Farm Union,’ as it was called, was opened to women. 1947 marked the first discussion of planning a new union building as it was becoming obvious that a major renovation of Old Dairy Hall was simply not practical and more space was needed than the building could provide.

In 1957, after the Board of Regents approved the construction, the preliminary drawings for the new St. Paul Student Center were completed. Construction started in 1958, and in December of 1959 a few sections of the union were completed and occupied. It was not until late February of 1960 that the new building was completely finished.

By 1978, the St. Paul Student Center could no longer meet the needs of the growing population of students and staff, so construction began to double its size. In 1980, the construction was complete, and the doors of the expanded student union were opened.

In recent history, the St. Paul Student Center has hosted many exciting events. Popular artists like Atmosphere, Apples and Stereo, Unwritten Law, and Mary Lou Lord have played in the North Star Ballroom. The St. Paul Student Center Theater has hosted movie sneak previews such as “Murder by Numbers”, “American Psycho”, and “Pay it Forward”. Annual bowling tournaments, like “Fish Bowl” and “SunBowl” also draw students to the union. The St. Paul Student Center’s mission is to serve students - it grows and changes to adapt to their needs. So visit the St. Paul Student Center today and become part of its tradition!