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Arizona State College at Flagstaff Student Memorial Building Fund collection, 1946-1948

NAU.MS.526

Historical Note

In 1946, student veterans and G.I. students at Arizona State College at Flagstaff (ASC at Flagstaff, now Northern Arizona University) voted to donate scholarship funds intended to support veterans to create a fund to build a student union building in honor of students who lost their lives in World War I and World War II. The idea quickly spread throughout the city of Flagstaff and among ASC students, facultly, and alumni.

On July 3, 1946, Dr. Eldon Ardrey presented the idea of a "Lumberjack's Lodge Memorial" to honor World War II veterans on ASC's campus to ASC President Tom O. Bellwood, Russel Jackson, George Babbitt Jr., Les Mahoney (of Lescher & Mahoney architectural and engineering firm in Phoenix), Earl Slipher, Robert (Bob) Prochnow, Melvin Hutchison, Leo Weaver, Jeff Ferris, Dean Tinsley, Gordan Evans, George Sanders, Jack Bedford, and others. Babbitt was appointed State Chairman of the Lumberjack's Lodge Memorial; regional chairmen were appointed to work with local committees and the state legislature and specific committees were established. In their next meeting on July 9, 1946, the officers changed the name of the memorial to the Student Union Memorial Building.

According to The Lumberjack, fundraising formally began after a November 19, 1946 meeting of 125 members of the Flagstaff association of workers at the Monte Vista Hotel. Members of the Building Fund sought financial contributions from within the Flagstaff community, from regional businesses such as Sportsman's Park in Phoenix, and from county-level state alumni. In less than a month, members of the Flagstaff community raised $52,000 towards its $70,000 goal, in addition to $3,204.86 in war bonds raised by ASC students in Flagstaff in the 1940s. Lescher and Mahoney Architects and Engineers further agreed to do architectural work on the building at no cost, an in-kind contribution of roughly $6,000.

George Babbitt, Jr. served as General Chairman for the Building Fund. Joe Pecharich of Jerome served as state chairman of county-level alumni committees, including Apache County (chairman Alvin Overson), Cochise County (chairman James Dixon), Coconino County (chairman James King), Gila County (chairman Elwood Miller), Graham County (chairman W.A. Townsend), Greenlee County (Douglas Brubaker), Maricopa County (chairmen Leighton Cress and John R. Allen), Mohave County (chairman Matt Hanhila), Navajo County (chairman William Armstrong), Pima County (chairman Maurice Marks), Pinal County (chairman Melvin Cooper), Santa Cruz County (chairman John Herrera), Yavapai County (chairmen Leonard Spooner and Lewis McDonald), and Yuma County (chairman Pete Woodward).

Lescher and Mahoney drew up initial architectural drawings for the Memorial Building in summer 1948, in preparation for a bidding process. In 1951, the Arizona State Legislature and Arizona Governor Howard Pyle granted an appropriation of $725,000 to support the construction of the student union building. The building was completed in 1952. As of 2022, the building is known as the North Union or Memorial Union. It includes Prochnow Auditorium and 1899 Bar & Grill (in operation since 2011)

The information provided in this historical note is based upon collection materials as well as articles in The Lumberjack, including a April 8, 1948 article titled "Student Memorial Bldg. Work Should Begin This Summer If Support Received Says Babbitt"; a March 26, 1947 article titled "Student Memorial Fund Nears $87,000 Mark During Drive"; a December 4, 1946 article titled "Flagstaff Campus and Townfolk Raise $52,000 For New Building"; an April 4, 1951 article titled "Student Union Building Moves Towards Actuality"; a January 22, and a 1948 article titled "'46 Flag Drive Got Over Half $70,000 Quota," and information about North Union from SCA's 2014 online exhibit Louie's Legacy.

Scope and Content

The Arizona State College at Flagstaff Student Memorial Building Fund collection (NAU.MS.526) contains correspondence, pamphlets, handwritten notes, meeting minutes, newpaper clippings, and ephemera related to efforts to raise money for a proposed Student Memorial Building at Arizona State College at Flagstaff (now Northern Arizona University) between 1946 and 1948. The materials were largely created or recieved by George Babbitt Jr., who served as the State Chairman for the Student Memorial Building Fund.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access and use, except not available through interlibrary loan.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or their transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for Northern Arizona University, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that they are an owner of copyright.

Related Material

Lacey Eastburn Presidential Papers, NAU.ARCH.1.10 / R.G.1.10.

George Babbitt Jr. papers, NAU.MS.255, NAU.PH.91.21, NAU.OH.57.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Title or brief description of file or item.] Arizona State College at Flagstaff Student Memorial Building Fund collection, NAU.MS.526, Box [ ], Folder [ ]. Cline Library, Special Collections and Archives, Flagstaff, Arizona.

Acquisition Information

Materials in the Arizona State College at Flagstaff Student Memorial Building Fund collection were identified in unprocessed Northern Arizona University Archives material by Sean Evans in September 2021. SCA staff have been unable to determine the provenance and/or donor of these materials as of spring 2023.

Processing Information

Samantha Meier physically processed materials in the Arizona State College at Flagstaff Student Memorial Building Fund collection in September 2021, creating files based on the found order of materials.

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