Burge Union
1601 Irving Hill Road 66045-7557
Pronounced: rhymes with “purge”
As the campus expanded to the south and west, the need for a satellite union with limited services became apparent. Students approved plans for one in 1968 but only in 1976 were revenue bonds issued that, combined with student fees, paid for a $2.8 million building west of Allen Fieldhouse and south of Green Hall. Architects Raymond and Phillip Coolidge of Topeka designed the 48,450-square-foot brick and reinforced concrete building, which opened Aug. 21, 1979, and was dedicated April 27, 1980. On his retirement, the satellite union was renamed in honor of Frank Burge, director of the unions 1952-83.
The lower level has the University Career Center and Workshop. A KU Bookstore, a convenience shop and the Crimson Café are on the second floor. The third level has meeting and conference rooms and the offices of Legal Services for Students and for Trademark Licensing. Chandler Courtyard on the south side of the lower level was the gift of Anderson Chandler, a 1948 alumnus and Topeka banker.
Kansas Union
1301 Jayhawk Blvd. 66045-7548
The need for a central meeting, entertainment and food service building had been discussed for several years before planning began for a union and stadium to honor the students and alumni who died in World War I. Fund-raising for the Million Dollar Drive began in late 1920, and by late 1921 the first sections of a new stadium were completed on the site of McCook Field below Marvin Grove. The hillside site for a union building to the southeast was selected so that the structures would be visible to each other.
The expense of the stadium, dedicated in 1922, drained the funding pool, so ground was not broken for the union until commencement 1925. The original brick and limestone building, designed by Irving K. Pond of the Chicago architectural firm Pond and Pond, was 80 by 135 feet when it opened in September 1927 but unfinished inside; lounges, game rooms, a cafeteria and a ballroom were completed over the next decade as money permitted.
Major additions completed in 1952 and 1961 doubled the building’s size. An arson fire April 20, 1970, believed to be another protest action in that turbulent spring, gutted the two upper floors of the original central section and caused more than $1 million in damage, but repairs were completed the next year. Beginning in the late 1980s, three extensive renovations costing $6.3 million were undertaken, expanding and improving mechanical workings, food service, office space and outside amenities.
Both the Kansas Union and the Burge Union are operated by a board of directors comprising university students, faculty, alumni and staff. Student Union Activities plans and manages concerts, film series, special observances and other functions. Student fees finance virtually all programs and renovations.
By levels:
Levels 5 and 6 have meeting and reception rooms, such as the Malott, Centennial, Kansas, Big 12 and Jayhawk rooms; the ballroom; and Woodruff Auditorium, named for Laurence C. Woodruff, registrar and dean of students in the 1940s and 1950s. The Centennial Room is decorated with artifacts from Old Fraser, including the entry doors and doors used as paneling; arched and etched-glass windows; spindles, shutters, trim and molding, and hardware; and busts.
Level 4 is the main floor, opening off Jayhawk Boulevard. It has lounges; a gallery; a convenience shop; Union Programs/SUA offices; catering, travel, banking and ticket services; the KU Card Center; the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, which houses student government, resource, counseling, outreach, social and service organizations; a computer center; and Alderson Auditorium, named for Donald K. Alderson, dean of men and dean of student services 1948-81.
Level 3 holds the food service and eating areas of the Market and the Westside Deli; meeting alcoves; the business and human relations offices; and the History Gallery, comprising large display boards of notable university personalities and events.
Level 2 has the KU Bookstore, selling texts, supplies, souvenirs and memorabilia; Oread Books, selling current fiction and nonfiction, children’s books, magazines, videos and CDs; and the Tech Shop.
Level 1 has the Hawk’s Nest lounge and games area; the bowling alley; a coffeeshop; and an engraving service.
The “Traditions Tower” holding the west staircase is decorated with plaques honoring student scholarship and service award winners and faculty and staff recognitions. On Level 6 are a plaque and photographs of the 130 university men and women who died in World War I. Displays of various Jayhawks, the origin of the “Rock Chalk” chant, Old Fraser artifacts and other memorabilia line the stairwell.
View Photo Library images of Kansas Union
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See also:
Seating capacities
Copyright © 2007 by the University of Kansas
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