The idea for a student recreation center was first proposed by the President Cloyd Heck Marvin in 1923. This initial effort was followed in 1938 by a committee formed under the leadership of President Alfred Atkinson to raise money for a student union building. However this initiative stalled due to a lack of funding and the start of World War II.
After nearly 28 years of planning, and $1.2 million in expenditures, The University of Arizona Student Memorial Union building was completed in 1951. The Student Memorial Union at the University of Arizona is so named because it is dedicated to the memory of soldiers who died during World War I and World War II. Numerous expansions have been added to the initial 1951 building. The facilities were replaced in 2002.
From the description of Records of the University of Arizona Student Union Memorial Center, 1951-1984. (University of Arizona). WorldCat record id: 55007253
