University of Michigan Heritage Project

How the Michigan Union Came to Be

A late-night idea in the mind of one undergraduate was the seed of Michigan's landmark Michigan Union.

For decades, the Union's billiards room was popular. When students' tastes changed, the room was often deserted, and eventually the space was converted to a study lounge.

The new building is to be the place where the average student can get something of that extra-curriculum training which counts for so much.

– U-M Alumni Association

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