McKenny Union
Encyclopedia
McKenny Hall, previously called McKenny Union and Charles McKenny Union, is one of four buildings comprising the Eastern Michigan University Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places
on the campus of Eastern Michigan University
. Designed by Detroit architect Frank Eurich Jr., construction began on November 8, 1930, and the building was dedicated on October 24, 1931. Named for Charles McKenny, who served from 1912 to 1933 as president of the school, then known as Michigan State Normal College, McKenny Union was the first student union
on the campus of a teachers' college.
McKenny originally proposed the idea for a student union in 1924 and by 1928, the school had pledges totaling $350,000; however, due to the 1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression
, only $130,000 was actually collected by 1930, leading to a change in the design. In 1937, the State of Michigan took control of bond repayment, drawing funds from student fees.
The building, in the collegiate gothic style with some art deco features, is on the south side of the EMU campus, facing Cross Street and the Ypsilanti Water Tower
.
In 1963, an expansion by the architectural firm of Jickling & Lyman of Birmingham
began, and the enlarged union, now featuring a bookstore in the basement and a bowling alley, was rededicated on April 30, 1966. From 1992 to early 1993, the union was again renovated, adding a new roof, a first floor bookstore, a loading dock, a passenger elevator, a bank, a food court, and barrier-free access. In 2006, McKenny Union was closed for another renovation. A new student center opened on campus that November, and upon since reopening, McKenny Union, now sometimes referred to as McKenny Hall, now contains career services, human resources, and veteran services offices, as well as occasionally hosting events and meetings in the ballroom.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on the campus of Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
. Designed by Detroit architect Frank Eurich Jr., construction began on November 8, 1930, and the building was dedicated on October 24, 1931. Named for Charles McKenny, who served from 1912 to 1933 as president of the school, then known as Michigan State Normal College, McKenny Union was the first student union
Student activity center
A student activity center is a type of building found on university campuses. In the United States, such a building is more often called a student union, student commons, or student center...
on the campus of a teachers' college.
McKenny originally proposed the idea for a student union in 1924 and by 1928, the school had pledges totaling $350,000; however, due to the 1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, only $130,000 was actually collected by 1930, leading to a change in the design. In 1937, the State of Michigan took control of bond repayment, drawing funds from student fees.
The building, in the collegiate gothic style with some art deco features, is on the south side of the EMU campus, facing Cross Street and the Ypsilanti Water Tower
Ypsilanti Water Tower
The Ypsilanti Water Tower is a historic water tower in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States.The tower was designed by William R. Coats and constructed as part of an elaborate city waterworks project that began in 1889. Located on the highest point in Ypsilanti, the tower was completed in 1890 at a...
.
In 1963, an expansion by the architectural firm of Jickling & Lyman of Birmingham
Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
began, and the enlarged union, now featuring a bookstore in the basement and a bowling alley, was rededicated on April 30, 1966. From 1992 to early 1993, the union was again renovated, adding a new roof, a first floor bookstore, a loading dock, a passenger elevator, a bank, a food court, and barrier-free access. In 2006, McKenny Union was closed for another renovation. A new student center opened on campus that November, and upon since reopening, McKenny Union, now sometimes referred to as McKenny Hall, now contains career services, human resources, and veteran services offices, as well as occasionally hosting events and meetings in the ballroom.