Located near the center of the University of Texas at Austin campus, the Texas Union serves as a focal point for lectures, speeches, meetings, entertainment, music, dining, and other activities within the University of Texas community.
The Texas Union opened its doors in 1933, the fiftieth anniversary year of the University of Texas. A massive fund-raising campaign conducted by the Ex-Students' Association had provided the impetus as well as half the funds for construction of the building. The goal was to provide co-curricular activity space for the university's students.
As enrollment continued to climb, students and staff worked to raise the Union fee to fund the construction of an addition. In 1956, their efforts were successful, and construction of a 76,000 square foot addition got underway. The addition opened in October, 1960.
As student unrest grew in the latter part of the 1960s, the Texas Union became the focus of another kind of activity. Public debates on social issues attracted large crowds, and controversial speakers drew demonstrators. The Union arch became the scene of anti-war protests.
By the late 1980s, the advanced age of the Union building's internal operating systems necessitated another extensive renovation. Students supported a fee increase to pay for the repairs, and the $9.1M project was completed in August 1993. Major phased interior renovations continue.
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Official records of the Texas Union at the University of Texas at Austin. Includes correspondence, planning files, financial records, annual reports, committee reports, program files, publications, surveys, and other associated documents.
Most of these records are stored off-site. Advance notice required for retrieval. Please contact repository.
UT Texas Union Records, 1928-2003, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.