History

Following the First World War, a patriotic movement swept across college campuses nationwide to honor those students who had fought and died for liberty and freedom, and MU was no exception to this. In his 1919 commencement address, Dean Walter Miller called for the construction of a memorial to Missouri's deceased sons. His dream, and the dream of students and faculty, began to take shape under the Memorial Building Committee, a committee organized to raise funds and support for the construction of this memorial.

First and foremost, the Memorial Student Union building would serve to honor MU's deceased sons, while at the same time it could serve as the long-awaited, permanent student center for student organizations and social activities. The first and most symbolic stage called for the construction of an English, Gothic-style, memorial, bell tower. The second phase called for the construction of the two wings extending north and south.