Campus Center [Smith Union] Planning Committee: records

The Campus Center Planning Committee, formed in 1991, oversaw the design and construction of the new student union. By 1993, $4.7 million had been appropriated for the renovation of the indoor athletic facility, the Hyde Cage, into the David Saul Smith Union. The Committee consisted of several members of the Administration, Faculty and Staff, including: Mark Wethli (Chair), David Barbour, Blythe Edwards, and William Torrey. The Committee chose Malcolm Holzman of Hardy, Holzman, and Pfeiffer (New York) and Nancy Barba of Reed and Barba (Portland) as architects for the building. The Committee's mission was to create "a building that will redefine and enrich the spirit of our community in all of its aspects--social, academic, and intellectual--for many years to come." Special consideration was given to preserve some original design features of the "Cage." This included preserving the metal rafters, clerestory windows and wood from the original track which was used as siding in the pub. The purpose of the Smith Union was to abate overcrowding at the existing student union, the Moulton Union, and to provide a "magnet" center for many student activities and services. The Committee disbanded after the Smith Union was dedicated on March 3, 1995.