Memorial Union details reflect different cultures

German murals in Der Rathskeller and Der Stiftskeller, Italianate exterior architecture and Northwoods lore in the Paul Bunyan Room — different cultures are prominently displayed throughout Memorial Union. But culture remains an integral part of the building beyond those obvious examples, even playing a role in the construction of the union itself.

Outside of Tripp Commons, a knight is etched into frosted glass next to the entrance. Tripp Commons and the third floor Beefeaters Room both have references to British style, alluding to how college unions have their origins in debating societies at Oxford and Cambridge. Porter Butts, the first director of the Union, was aware of that tradition and wanted to incorporate it into the design.

“The whole idea of a union is that students come together outside the classroom. When they came over here, they became social clubs,” Guthier says. “For whatever reason, they took root very strongly in the Midwest. The oldest unions in the country tend to be at schools in this area.”

Native American culture has its own place in the Union. Murals of Native chieftains decorate the ceiling outside the second floor parlor. However, to further honor Wisconsin’s Native American tradition, Guthier says there are plans to implement a new piece that would be more noticeable than overhead paintings.