Student Union Memories in Our Town - Time Out #293

As spring moves along in Our Town, I am flooded with pleasant memories of the 1950's and 60's in this "secret" little town of ours in north central Oklahoma. Since my dear father, Col. C.H. Breedlove, was fully connected to the then-named (until 1957), Oklahoma A & M College, I spent a great deal of time on the vast college campus as a youngster. My dad was the head of the then mandatory Air Force (Army branch was the other choice) R.O.T.C. program on campus. Each physically-qualified freshman male college student was required to take R.O.T.C. (either service branch) for their first two student years at Oklahoma A&M College. This male-student requirement remained in effect until the fall semester, 1965; ironically, my freshman year at OSU. And, yes, I did complete 4 semesters of the Air Force program of it here!

Modern-day OSU displays a beautiful campus, and that fact was evident in the 1950's, too. The massive library, student union, Theta Pond, and the lovely formal gardens, have been the center-pieces of the Stillwater campus for many, many years. Therefore, as a youth, I spent a great deal of time inside the student union, because it offered so much to do. When it was opened (construction cost $4.3 million) in August, 1950, it was billed as the "largest student union the the world". I am not certain this fact was/is totally (?) correct, but it started out big, and has only gotten larger, with 5 expansions over its 70-plus years.

Let me take you, dear readers in Our Town and far beyond, on our student union building tour, as seen through my youthful, 1950's eyes.

We'll begin in the basement, probably my favorite floor, since it was the location of the huge game room. There, visitors could play either pool or snooker, flip your fingers off, trying to beat one of their nickel pinball machines, or bowl several games in their small bowling alley. It was inexpensive to spend hours there, and provided a gathering place for my buddies, too. Across the hall from the game room, you could get a burr haircut in a barber shop, if you wanted one!

Moving upstairs to the first floor, the huge cafeteria was visited by our family a great deal. For sure, every Sunday. following church, we would eat there. My favorite dish was fried chicken, along with fresh rolls, green beans, and mashed potatoes with brown gravy. The main course was usually followed by a round cup of baked custard for desert. Frequently, long-time student union director, Abe Hesser, would stop by our table to chat with us. His daughter, Cheryl, was a classmate of mine in public school. Occasionally, we would eat in the up-scale coffee shop, located on the south end of the first floor. This facility served seafood, steaks, and other fine foods, with a wait staff serving your table. On the north end of the first floor, were the small retail shops; Cecil's Drugstore, Mr. G's Clothing Store, Ferris Jewelers, and, later, a small U.S. post office. I frequented the drug store, buying candy, and, I believe, wax packs of baseball cards. I am not totally certain of buying the baseball cards there, with their enclosed slab of sugary bubble gum, but I am certain of my many candy purchases at Cecil's!

On the second floor, I would usually go outside, via the attached west side brick/concrete elevated deck, to view activity in the lovely formal gardens. Inside, I would enter the vast ballroom, and always gazed at its beautiful wooden floor. When any major Our Town event was held on campus in those years, it was usually held in the ballroom. I spent many hours there, too, when my father would be participating with our local Town & Gown (T&G) theatre group. He was either acting or working behind the scenes for Oklahoma's second oldest community theatre organization. T&G operated their theatre-in-the-round in the ballroom for several years, before purchasing their permanent location south of town. Many times, I would go into the French Lounge, across the main hallway from the ballroom, simply to look at the unusual furniture, art work, and the overall room layout. I remember doing the same in the Modern Lounge, Sequoyah Room, and Oriental (?) Lounge, located on various union floors. Another favorite location for me was the Twilight Terrace on the 4th floor. It had a small snack facility, and an outside, open-air sitting area, complete with a nickel juke box for playing music. As time moved forward, a permanent roof with skylights was placed over the Twilight Terrace, but it still remained a neat place for a young Stillwater person (i.e.ME!) to hang out and watch people.

So, for several decades, each time I drive or walk by our student union, my mind's eye retraces the many steps I have traveled inside that large, iconic structure. It has certainly has a special place in my crowded memory bank!