Memorial Student Union Marks 100 Years
The University of Missouri landmark, built to honor students who died in World War I, opened its tower on November 20, 1926.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in College Life
Memorial Student Union at the University of Missouri will mark its 100th anniversary on November 20, 2026. The tower was built as a memorial to students who died in World War I.
Why it matters
The anniversary highlights a century of campus history tied to the students who lost their lives in World War I. Columbia residents and Mizzou students can take part in events marking the milestone.
The tower is built of limestone in Gothic style and features 32 gargoyles. Groundbreaking followed the 1921 raising of $238,000, and the north and south wings were completed in 1952 and 1963.
The players
Mizzou Campus Activities Programming Board
The student-run group at the University of Missouri that plans campus events and programming for students.
The details
Plans for the student union began in 1916, and a 1918 poem by Robert McGhee "Peaches" Graham, who died in France that year, proposed a tribute to fallen veterans. The A.P. Green Chapel was completed in 1959, and a commemorative program will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday.
Timeline
1916: Plans for the student union begin.
1921: Groundbreaking begins after $238,000 is raised.
November 20, 1926: The tower opens as a memorial.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026: Mizzou Campus Activities Programming Board hosts a party from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with pizza and birthday cake.
Friday, November 20, 2026: A commemorative program begins at 2 p.m.
Legacy Context
The tower follows the post-World War I tradition of universities building memorials to students who died in the conflict. Its 100th anniversary marks a century of that campus commemoration.
Columbia students and visitors can attend the Wednesday campus party from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or the Friday commemorative program starting at 2 p.m. The events offer a chance to see the tower's architecture and the names inscribed in its archway.
The takeaway
The Memorial Student Union reminds readers that campus buildings can preserve personal histories as well as institutional ones. Visiting the archway offers a direct way to connect with the students it honors.
What happens next
Mizzou's commemorative program begins at 2 p.m. on Friday, November 20, 2026, marking the tower's centennial.
Further reading
Explore more about College Life in Columbia, where Mizzou's campus traditions continue to shape student experience.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Columbia Missourian.
