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This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the FAQ section for more information.
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Collection Overview
| Size | 28.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 22800 items) |
| Abstract | The University of North Carolina's Student Union was established in 1931. Its membership included students, university staff, alumni, trustees, and those who had contributed toward the construction of Graham Memorial (named for Edward Kidder Graham), the building that was to house the union until 1968. The Frank Porter Graham Student Union, a larger building, was completed in 1968 and still houses the union. While in Graham Memorial, the Student Union was called Graham Memorial Student Union. In 1968, its name became Carolina Union. Defined by the university as a student organization, the union has an activities board, made up of students, which plans and coordinates programs. The activities board, however, is overseen by the union's board of directors and director; the latter is a full-time administrator who reports to the vice chancellor for student affairs. These records are largely the files of the director of the Student Union. They include annual reports, budgets, financial statements, files on building renovation, bylaws and policies of the union, correspondence, contracts with entertainers, and files on events sponsored by the union, including the Carolina Symposium, Chapel Thrill, the Fine Arts Festival, Jubilee, and Springfest. There are also minutes of the union's board of directors and membership lists and some minutes of the activities board. A film of part of the 1971 Jubilee is also included. The Addition of June 2011 consists of 26 scrapbooks of clippings and other materials documenting Student Union activities, 1956-2000. The Addition of October 2011 consists of files on student organizations that applied for official university recognition during the 1980s and 1990s. |
| Creator | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Student Union. |
| Language | English |
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Information For Users
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
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Related Collections
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Historical Information
The Student Union at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was established in 1931. Membership was open to students, staff, alumni, trustees, and those who had contributed to the construction of Graham Memorial, the building that first housed the union. Named for Edward Kidder Graham, who was university president from 1913 to 1918, Graham Memorial included a main lounge that was the site of numerous teas, receptions, dances, and concerts. A second lounge housed the Horace Williams Philosophy Library. A grill, game room, bowling alley, and barbershop were located in the basement; and on the second floor were meeting rooms, offices, and a large banquet hall. Graham Memorial remained the location of the Student Union until the growing popularity of union programs necessitated a larger building.
The Frank Porter Graham Student Union was completed in 1968 and opened in January 1969. It was named for Frank Porter Graham, president of the Consolidated University of North Carolina from 1932 to 1949. Enlarged in 1979, the building includes offices, conference rooms, lounges, an information desk, a ticket sales counter, a bowling alley, concert facilities, darkrooms, arts and crafts centers, and a snack bar. Most of the major student organizations, including Student Government, are housed there. Since 1968 the official name of the union has been Carolina Union.
In the fall of 1972, the union began maintaining a facility in Chase Dining Hall on the South Campus. This space included Upendo Lounge, created in 1972 to provide the Black Student Movement with a place for meetings, programs, and social events. The Chase facility also housed other recreational resources for the use of South Campus residents.
Throughout its existence, the Student Union has coordinated and funded educational, creative, and recreational activities for the University community. These activities have included dances, guest lectures, films, tournaments, receptions, and large-scale entertainment events such as Jubilee, Chapel Thrill, and Springfest. Through such activities, the union continues to serve, as its original purpose stated, as an organization "designed to enlarge upon the benefits of study and at the same time to symbolize the Carolina student's traditional freedom to live and mature through activities beyond the academic context."
According to records in this collection (see particularly Charlie Shapard's "The History of the University of North Carolina Student Union: A Study of the Growth and Development of Graham Memorial"), a faculty-student committee was appointed by President Frank Porter Graham met on 9 May 1931 "to consider policies and organization of Graham Memorial." This committee recommended the appointment of a board of directors composed of the president of the student body, the editor of The Daily Tar Heel, the president of the Woman's Association, presidents of the three upper classes of the undergraduate student body, the president of the university, the executive secretary of the university, the dean of students, the executive secretary of the YMCA, and the president and secretary of the Alumni Association.
The board of directors appointed a director of the union to be in charge of its day-to-day operations. Until 1958, this appointment did not require administrative approval. The director of the union was appointed for a two-year term and was usually a recent graduate of the university who had been active in student organizations. During World War II and through the late 1940s, however, the position of director turned over even more frequently; and the maintenance of continuity became a problem. Finally, in 1958, the director of the union became a permanent administrative position within the university's Division of Student Affairs.
The present structure and governance of the Student Union is somewhat complicated. Defined by the university as a student organization, the union has an activities board, composed of students, that plans and executes programs. However, the activities board does so under the supervision of the director of the union and with the approval of the union's board of directors. The Board of Directors remains the union's governing body. In accordance with the union's bylaws, the board of directors is made up of students, faculty, and administrators. The president of the union, who is a student, chairs both the activities board and the board of directors. The director, who reports to the vice chancellor for student affairs, has administrative responsibility for the union and its employees. The permanent directors of the union have been: Howard Douglas Henry (1958-1987), Archie W. Copeland (1987-1992), and Donald E. Luse (1992- ).
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Scope and Content
With the exception of the Board of Directors' minutes, these records are largely those of the director of the Student Union. They include annual reports, budgets, financial statements, files on building renovation, bylaws and policies of the union, correspondence, contracts with entertainers, and files on events sponsored by the union, including the Carolina Symposium, Chapel Thrill, the Fine Arts Festival, Jubilee, and Springfest. There are also minutes of the union's Board of Directors and membership lists and some minutes of the Activities Board. A film of part of the 1971 Jubilee is also included. The Addition of June 2011 consists of 26 scrapbooks of clippings and other materials documenting Student Union activities from 1956 to 2000. The Addition of October 2011 consists of files on student organizations that applied for official university recognition during the 1980s and 1990s.
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Series Quick Links
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Student Union Records, 1931-1990.
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Addition of June 2011, 1956-2000.
The Addition of June 2011 consists of 26 scrapbooks. These scrapbooks are composed primarily of clippings but also contain flyers and photographs regarding Student Union activities including dances, parties, visiting speakers, musicians and other performers, films, plays, student groups, the Fine Arts Festival, Chapel Thrill, and other events. There are editorials and articles documenting student response to political speakers including the protests during David Duke's 1975 campus visit. There are also articles on the controversy surrounding the construction the Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cultural Center, funding for Carolina Union facilities, and problems in the 1990s with violence during parties held at the union. Most of the articles are from The Daily Tar Heel.
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Addition of October 2011, 1966-1996.
The Addition of October 2011 consists of files related to official university recognition of student organizations. Box 3 contains general materials related to the application process, including application forms, memos, and lists of organizations that were granted official recognition. Boxes 4-19 contain files on individual student organizations, including applications for recognition, descriptions, contact information of group members, memos, and other materials. Most of these files date from the 1980s and 1990s.
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Items Separated
Processed by: University Archives Staff, May 1992, May 2010, June 2011, and October 2011
Encoded by: Patrick Harner, December 2008
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