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Fort Hays Kansas State College Memorial Union Scrapbooks Collection

 Collection
Identifier: FC 009
In general, the scrapbooks contain photographs, new clippings, event calendars, programs, brochures, news releases, and newsletters highlighting some of the major student and faculty activities held in the Memorial Union from approximately 1957-1967.

Dates

  • 1957-1967

Conditions Governing Access

Items cannot be removed from the University Archives. Please ask for the assistance of the Archivist when handling these items.

Conditions Governing Use

Written permission must be obtained from the Fort Hays State University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Extent

2.75 Linear Feet

Overview

The two Memorial Union Scrapbooks contain photographs, new clippings, event calendars, programs, brochures, news releases, and newsletters highlighting some of the major student and faculty activities held in the Memorial Union from approximately 1957-1967.

Biographical / Historical

According to the publication Fifty Years Together, Fort Hays State University Memorial Union, 1958-2008: “A student union for the university was first discussed during the 1939 Homecoming. During World War II, the old Gymnasium-Women’s Building had been converted into a Social Building and served as the student center, but the need for a better facility was becoming evident.

With the end of the war, the Memorial Union began to inch toward reality in the spring of 1945 when, following approval by the Kansas Board of Regents, students began to pay a fee of $5 per semester into the student union building fund. It is important to point out that the new Memorial Union – with a final price tag of $851,600 – would ultimately be built at no cost to Kansas taxpayers.

With funding finally in place, students, faculty and staff watched with great interest as the Memorial Union evolved from a groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 12, 1957, to outward completion of the structure during the 1957-58 academic year.

The completed Memorial Union was dedicated on Oct. 18, 1958. Cody Commons, which had passed through various transformations, was remodeled and incorporated into the new Memorial Union as the food service center and went into use on Nov. 18, and the Reveille Ball opened the campus Christmas social season on Dec. 6 [1958].”

Other the years, major renovations to the Memorial Union have taken place. Fifty Years Together states: “The annex to the Union was completed in spring 1970, providing a large recreation area in the basement. During the 1982-83 school year, major improvements were completed to expand the University Bookstore into the basement of the Memorial Union and to prepare the basement for the Student Health Center, which moved from Sheridan Coliseum. The Student Service Center was added to the Memorial Union during the 1988-89 school year.” And on August 20, 2007, “after 18 months of construction, a ribbon-cutting ceremony…marked completion of the $8.5 million renovation of the Memorial Union.”

Arrangement

Materials in the document box are arranged roughly in chronological order; items within the scrapbook pages are arranged chronologically.

General

Headliners

A number of popular entertainers performed on the campus of Fort Hay Kansas State College (now Fort Hays State University) during 1957-1964. These scrapbooks contain some publicity news clippings and photographs of the following headliners (this is not a complete list):

Mahalia Jackson October 6, 1960 The Four Freshmen February 12, 1963 The Limeliters March 12, 1963 Celeste Holm October 26, 1963 The Chad Mitchell Trio November 9, 1963 Marian Anderson March 2, 1964 The Gaslight Singers September 24, 1964 The New Christy Minstrels October 13, 1964
Author
Revised by David Obermayer
Date
2016; 2018
Description rules
dacs

Repository Details

Part of the Fort Hays State University Archives Repository

Contact:
University Archives
Forsyth Library
502 South Campus Drive
Hays KS 67601 United States