Whether it’s the Terrace in the summer, the Rathskeller on a wintry day, a concert in the Union Theater’s Shannon Hall, a special event in Great Hall or a football Saturday at Union South, the Wisconsin Union is that special place that brings the community together.
How We Began
The Wisconsin Union Association began in the early 1920s, when the Board of Regents voted to undertake a fundraising campaign to build the Memorial Union. Then known as the Union Building Committee and later known as the Memorial Union Building Association, the Committee raised funds to build the Memorial Union.
The Regents envisioned this as a gathering place. With that goal in mind, the Regents encouraged donations to the building fund by stating that anyone contributing $50 or more would become a lifetime member of the Wisconsin Union. More than $1 million in gifts from loyal supporters from around the world made the opening of the Memorial Union in 1928 a reality.