The scent of fresh-brewed coffee and frosting danced in the air. The laughter of children and the clicks of polaroid cameras echoed across the floor. June 12, 2025, marked the MSU Union Centennial, attracting generations of Spartans young and old to celebrate the landmark’s success. The 100th anniversary was more than a celebration, it was a tribute to a century of memories, milestones and the resilient spirit of the MSU community. The event honored the union’s enduring legacy as a place of belonging, where Spartans come together time and time again. 

Guests enjoyed cupcakes from MSU Bakers and scoops of the limited-edition Centennial Celebration Cookie Jar ice cream from the MSU Dairy Store. Strange Matter Coffee also provided complimentary lattes, iced tea, lemonade and refreshers. 

Attendees explored the MSU Union’s history through guided tours, artifacts displayed in the MOSAIC cases and a second floor exhibit featuring carved tables from the Union Grill. At the Bronze Sparty bench, guests snapped Polaroid pictures while Sparty weaved throughout the sea of attendees. Children enjoyed the inflatable slide, bouncy house, face painting and Sparty coloring pages, while the adults participated in giveaways including reprints of the original 1923 Holcad newspaper announcing the MSU Union campaign, magnets, buttons and Spartan-themed stickers. 

From Dream to Reality

The dream of the union was born in 1905, when students at the Michigan Agricultural College (now MSU) imagined a place where they could gather, relax and build community. However, financial obstacles and World War I delayed that dream until 1919. Thanks to the generous donations from students and alums, the building became more than a student center, it became a memorial to those who served.

When the union opened in 1925, it provided both a space focused on student life and a symbol of community and sacrifice. For generations, it’s hosted student events, meaningful conversations and a deep sense of belonging for Spartans on campus. 

“All who built this structure are gone from this physical world,” said Lisa Parker, senior director for Alumni Relations. “But they are here. Can you sense them? Can you imagine the conversations and actions occurring as foundations were poured and walls were constructed?”

Today, the MSU Union stands at the heart of campus, continuing to provide support, connection and belonging just as it has for the past 100 years and for countless more. Built by students for students, it anchors the Spartan experience. The union carries not only the legacy of those who built it, but the hopes of future generations who will walk its halls, find their people and shape their own stories. 

A Second Home 

James T. Holden, served on the University Activities Board and the Associated Students of Michigan State University Programming Board in the 1980s. Holden flew in to attend the Centennial and reflect on how the union shaped his MSU experience. He stumbled into the union one night on the hunt for a slice of pizza and discovered something much more valuable.

“I managed to find the UAB meeting that night, and that first meeting introduced me to what the union was and some of the people who made it such a magical place,” Holden said. That chance encounter sparked his involvement in student life, which he recalled as “one of the best periods of my life.”

“The union is a moving, breathing place, one that has touched virtually every Spartan over the past hundred years, sometimes in unexpected ways,” Holden said. ”Here I found a sense of belonging, a second home and people who changed my life.”

Holden’s story is not uncommon. The MSU Union has impacted thousands of students over the decades as the home to essential student services including UAB, the MSU Federal Credit Union, MSU Art Gallery, University Advising, Neighborhood Student Success Center and meeting spaces for countless organizations. 

From academic advising to coffee breaks, club meetings to quiet study hours, the union continues to serve as a second home for Spartans. It’s a place where needs are met, friendships are formed and memories are made.

More Than Brick and Glass

Loren Kruger and Jack Phillips are both proud UAB alums who returned to the building to celebrate the centennial because the union allowed them to grow, find belonging and make lifelong memories, shaping them into the people they are today.

Kruger graduated in 2022. She now serves as legislative project manager for Governor Whitmer. She presented a special proclamation on behalf of the governor and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrest, officially recognizing the MSU Union’s 100 years of service to the Spartan community. 

“The union perfectly lives up to the words in this proclamation,” she said. “It’s more than brick and glass, it’s a monument to the time spent building cherished relationships and making everlasting memories.”

Kruger reflected on how the union helped students reconnect after the COVID-19 pandemic. “Thousands gathered at UFest in 2021 because they missed their home away from home,” she recalled. For her, UAB and the union provided more than leadership experience, they gave her confidence, purpose and a place she felt she truly belonged.

Phillips graduated in 2025 and works as the marketing assistant for the MSU Union. He emphasized the union’s resilience and student-centered mission. “I love how it’s a place not dedicated to any one specific need, it just provides what you need from it,” he said. “I love that it’s a place centered around students’ needs.”

To him, the union is best described as resilient. “It’s had a rocky history in the past couple years, but it’s bounced back,” he said. “But if you look out into the main lobby throughout the semester, it’s always packed with students. It’s able to uphold its purpose, despite the setbacks. That’s the intangible impact the union has on all of us.”

Long-Standing Legacy

For 100 years, the MSU Union has served as a pillar of campus life. Junior Maggie Babiarz, a third-generation Spartan, spoke about the personal connection to the building. Her grandfather walked the union’s halls when it was just two decades old, and now a hundred years later, so does she.

“It’s history, but it’s also home,” Babiarz said. One of her favorite memories is from her first week as a Spartan, when she visited the union’s poster sale to decorate her residence hall room. “That moment tied me to this place in a special way,” she said. “Everything you need as a Spartan is here.”

For rising junior Andrea Torzone, the centennial highlighted how the union continues to foster inclusivity and unity. “The union is somewhere everybody is welcome,” she said. “Once you’re a Spartan, you never stop being one.” She described the building with one word: “community.” 

Junior Charlotte Bowman sees the union as a vital student space, one that “reminds you you’re not alone on campus.” She emphasized how events, late-night study sessions and hang-outs in the building provide students a strong sense of connection.

The union offers a sense of comfort, connection and community that stands the test of time. It’s more than a building, it reminds Spartans there’s more to college than classes and assignments. It’s a place to find belonging, build relationships and discover who you are.

The Next 100 Years

The MSU Union remains a powerful symbol of what it means to be a Spartan. It’s resilient, welcoming and deeply connected. Growing from a student-led dream to a pillar of campus, the union is where friendships begin, traditions thrive and every Spartan can find a place to belong.

During her remarks June 12, Cathy Fitzpatrick, director of the MSU Union, shared the secret to the union's strength. How has the union survived while other buildings have crumbled? The secret is the people. The love and care the Spartan community has poured into this landmark shows. This includes the union team, directors and managers, architects, staff members and students. The union survives because of their dedication. 

“[A building] doesn’t get to this age without a great deal of care and an affinity toward what the building stands for,” said Fitzpatrick. “It really is the students who have kept these doors open and have given us reason to make sure this building lasts and continues its legacy.” 

The union symbolizes the resilient spirit of those who envisioned, built and continue to breathe life into the space. The centennial celebration honored the past and sparked excitement for the future, ensuring that the MSU Union will continue to serve, inspire and unite generations to come.

Learn more about the MSU Union: union.msu.edu. 

Author: Olivia Williams, on-call communications assistant