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The new Bowen-Thompson Student Union is the third incarnation of the facility, which has always been at the heart of campus.
It began in 1941 as a log cabin known as the Falcon’s Nest, located where the Union is today. The student population quickly
outgrew the quaint building; however, and it moved to Portage, Ohio, when construction began on the second Union in1955.
In 1958, a much larger, more modern Student Union opened, but not without setbacks. A serious fire in October 1957 did considerable
damage to the nearly finished structure. After repairs were made, the building opened its doors on April 11, 1958, with a
three-day celebration that included a dance with music by Guy Lombardo and his band in the new Grand Ballroom. The building
featured several spots to eat, whether formally, in the Pheasant Room, or informally, in the new Falcon’s Nest. You could
get a piece of the famous coconut cream pie for just cents. Students enjoyed the bowling alley and the guests could stay in
the Union hotel.
But the University continued to grow, and as the world changed, so did students’ needs. In 1994, student leaders began to
discuss the possibility of a new Union that would encompass greater technological capabilities and expanded meeting and recreational
spaces. The next spring President Paul Olscamp appointed a study committee to look at the future of the Union, and by 1998-99,
the Union Core Committee, which included significant student membership, began working on plans for what the facility should
include.
Significant donations helped the Union project reach its $6 million private-giving goal. These gifts included $3 million from
Robert ’55 and Ellen (Bowen) 54’ Thompson and several large private and corporate contributions. Many others, including University
faculty and staff, gave generously to help make the new Union a reality.
At a kick-off celebration for the new student Union on November 6, 1999, guests took one last tour through the rooms of the
old building, which contained memorabilia from the respective decades of its life, and toasted the coming of the new Union.
In December, the doors closed for the last time and the Bowen-Thompson Student Union was begun.
Midnight on January 13, 2002, the Bowen-Thompson Student Union officially opened its doors to all the students returning to
campus for the spring 2002 semester. The open house featured Fireworks, entertainment, and a tour of the new facility.
Since its opening, the Bowen-Thompson Student Union has been a host to wedding, meetings, conferences, shows, performances,
sales, and much, much more. With nearly 12,000 entries into the Student Union daily, the Bowen-Thompson Student Union has positioned
itself in the center of campus life. For many, the Bowen-Thompson Student Union is the CENTER of it all.
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