Following years of hurdles after its inception in 1905, the first official groundbreaking for what would become the MSU Union took place 100 years ago, June 16, 1923. While a few setbacks would continue due to financing issues, the groundbreaking more formally opened the door for the campus landmark, integral to the Spartan experience for generations of students. 

MSU Class of 1878 graduate, W.K. Prudden, received the honor of turning the first shovel of dirt, having been the largest individual contributor to the union building fund up to that point. Lack of funds was a consistent theme leading up to the eventual opening in the summer of 1925, so much so, that in 1915 the senior class pledged $5 per graduate to help fund the union (about $150 today). The estimated cost to build the union was $650,000 (approximately $19.5 million by today’s rates). 

Yet, in 1915 funds were merely one issue. While construction of the union first started with a concrete step that year, building was brought to a halt because of World War I. Construction would remain delayed due to the lack of financing through 1923. The building would later, for a time, be named the Michigan Agricultural College (MAC) Memorial Union in honor of the soldiers who had perished in the war. The building would undergo four different names before officially becoming the Michigan State University Union in 1955. 
“Like the students, the union has gone through many changes over the years. But what we’re particularly proud of is that the building continues to be such a major part of the student experience. It’s a testament to how the building is more than just a building, constantly adapting to be whatever students need it to be,” says Cathy Fitzpatrick, current director of the MSU Union.

The groundbreaking is not to be confused with another event later in 1923, Excavation Week, a one-of-a-kind event in which male students, faculty and volunteers worked together to dig the foundation of the building. That will be commemorated come November. 
In its time, the union has hosted many students and visitors, parties and banquets, student and community events, meetings, haircuts, and meals. As the free-standing Multicultural Center is currently being built across campus, remember that the first multicultural center was in the union basement, making its debut in 1999 and leading to the MOSAIC: The Multicultural Unity Center on the second floor in 2013. 

More recently, the union grounds hosted the 59th annual University Activities Board Spring Arts & Crafts Show, welcoming thousands more this past May. The union also plays an important role in graduation, where students have procured their caps and gowns at least since 1933. In its 98 years of service, millions have, at this point, walked the MSU Union’s halls. The MSU community looks forward to celebrating more moments in MSU Union history as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2025.