Student Union Celebrates 60

By Jace Uchtman, Public Relations Undergraduate Student

The Elliott Student Union celebrated 60 years on campus this past year. On Nov. 28, 1961, excavation began, and on Sept. 29, 1962, the College Union opened. Since then, it has evolved to serve the ever-changing needs of students and the campus community.

In its early years, the union for what was then known as Central Missouri State College was filled with a variety of amenities for students, including a game room, TV room, bookstore, barbershop, 10-lane bowling alley, meeting rooms, student lounge and candy counter. The cafeteria was well known for its soup, as students and staff could go there every day for two weeks and not get the same soup twice.

After four short years, in 1966, the union underwent its first expansion, nearly doubling in size. The expansion included 10 more bowling lanes, a larger game room, a ballroom with stage, a beauty shop, meeting rooms and a lounge for faculty and staff. Events like carnivals, dances, themed nights and the annual Rhetor Ball were held at the union in the ’60s. When the college became Central Missouri State University in 1972, the union was renamed University Center.

In the late ’70s and early ’80s, unions across the country were evolving from social centers to facilities for university services and activities. At CMSU the Cheerleaders and Mulekickers were under the supervision of the union staff and held practices there. More dining services were provided to give students a wider variety of options, and the former food court area on the main floor was renovated to create more meeting rooms. CMSU President Ed Elliott stepped into his position in 1985 and laid the groundwork for the future of the union and campus housing.

More expansions and replacements happened during the ’90s. The union atrium was designed around a two-story indoor fountain, and an ice cream parlor was installed. An information desk replaced the candy corner, and the bowling center went back down to 10 lanes when the Office of Student Activities was added.

In 1991 the Smiser Alumni Center was added on to the union, named in honor of donors Sam, ’38, and Sue Smiser. The beauty and barber shops gave way to a travel agency. The most dramatic change was removing a section of College Avenue to create a pedestrian mall. The union was renamed Elliott Union when President Elliott retired in 1999, and the Sandra Temple Elliott Ballroom was dedicated to the first lady.

During the 2000s, the union became a popular venue for weddings, camps, conferences, proms and more. It was one of the first buildings on campus with free public Wi-Fi, which was added in 2006, the year CMSU became the University of Central Missouri.

Fast-forward to 2012, when the Union Cinema opened, premiering with “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.” The theater became a student favorite and filled up every weekend. In 2015 The Crossing opened, and the university bookstore found a new home in the mixed housing/retail building on the corner of Holden and South streets.

In 2016 the Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity was added, and two years later the Success Advising Center opened, providing a home base where each UCM student could access a team of staff and peer advisors. In 2019 the bowling center was remodeled, establishing an enclosed space at the south entrance, and a new auditorium with collapsible seating for 281 people was built in what was previously a boxed-in outdoor space.

Things slowed down in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit home, but work started to pick up the following year when Starbucks replaced the previous coffee shop. In 2022, the union updated furniture and ceiling decor in the atrium and installed new digital screens in the bowling center. Plans are currently underway for a redesign of the atrium fountain.

The Elliott Student Union has served the campus community for 60 years. It has undergone many transformations, name changes and remodels to ensure it serves students in the best possible ways. No matter what changes lie in store, UCM’s campus living room will always be a place where students feel at home.