Contemplate this: a bustling hub where students gather. It’s not just a building. It’s Coffman Memorial Union or simply Coffman at the University of Minnesota.
Coffman Memorial Union stands proudly on the East Bank campus. It anchors the south end of Northrop Mall. This is a grassy area at the heart of the campus. Coffman faces Northrop Auditorium across Washington Avenue.
Built between 1939 and 1940, Coffman became the new social center. Before that, Shevlin Hall and Nicholson Hall served as unions. They were separate for women and men. Clarence H. Johnston Jr. designed Coffman. It opened in September 1940 and was dedicated in October. The building commemorates Lotus D. Coffman. He was the University president from 1920 to 1938. Coffman envisioned a united student union. It accommodated 14000 students.
By 1965, Coffman was the most used building on campus. Furniture showed wear and tear from heavy use. Around 20000 students used Coffman daily. Students protested the Vietnam War here. On May 4, 1970, the same day as the Kent State shootings, protesters occupied Coffman for a month. In May 1972, 6000 protesters rallied at Coffman. They protested President Nixon’s blockade of North Vietnam harbors. Former Congressman Eugene McCarthy spoke.
A renovation from 1974 to 1976 drew criticism. Streamline Moderne aspects disappeared. The back terrace was enclosed with angled glass. The main lounge shrunk. Student organizations moved in. The game lounge moved to the basement becoming Goldy’s Gameroom. A theater replaced it. Deep-cut apron windows appeared. Students had to use side doors. The color scheme became magenta, blue, yellow, orange, purple, and green. The Ski-U-Mah lounge trapped heat in summer and lost it in winter. Cartoonist Steve Sack called it the Coffman Memorial Microwave Oven. The renovation added 25000 square feet. It accommodated 42000 students. Critics called it “an architectural crime.”
In the 1980s, Coffman was a place to watch TV and news. Students gathered during the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. In the 1990s, cultural centers for African, Asian-American, Mi Gente, Disabled, and Queer students opened.
In 1999, plans for a second renovation began. The Board of Regents approved a $71.5 million budget in 2001. Construction lasted until 2003. Almost all traces of the 1976 renovation disappeared. The exterior returned to its original look. The interior got terrazzo floors and new lighting and air conditioning. The lower floors expanded. They included the University of Minnesota Bookstore, food vendors, lounges, and the Cube. A 1900-car parking garage opened behind Coffman. The Al-Madinah and American Indian cultural centers also got space.
In 2013, the second floor was renovated. Cultural centers surrounded an open section. Conference rooms and open areas appeared. A Goldy Gopher statue was unveiled in front of Coffman.
On January 19, 2018, Coffman was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was part of the Northrop Mall Historic District.
In 2019, a task force suggested removing Lotus Coffman’s name. This was due to his racist and anti-Semitic policies.
A third major renovation is planned. It will meet current student needs. The architecture will remain untouched. The aim is to create a more welcoming space. An accessibility ramp on the east side is planned. The bookstore will connect to the transit stop on Washington Avenue.
Coffman offers various services. These include the University of Minnesota Bookstore, Minnesota Marketplace Food Court, and a US Postal Service. There is also an IT Student Lab. The main lounge and theater are on the main floor. The lower level has the bookstore and dining options. Goldy’s Gameroom has a bowling alley, foosball, and billiard tables. The upper floors are for student and administration use. The Campus Club on the fourth floor is a dining and event venue for faculty and alumni.
Coffman houses student organizations. These include the Minnesota Student Association and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly. Cultural centers like Al-Madinah and the Asian-American Student Union are also here.
So, as you leave Coffman Memorial Union, remember it is more than just a building. It’s a place of history, unity, and student life.