University of Manchester Students’ Union

Whose idea was it to build a Students’ Union with separate entrances for men and women? The University of Manchester Students’ Union, in its earlier days, was a fascinating example of the societal norms of the time. Originally, the Men’s and Women’s Unions occupied separate buildings, back-to-back, near Oxford Road. The men entered on Burlington Street, while the women used the Lime Grove entrance. This division reflected the prevailing social segregation of the early 20th century. The University of Manchester Students’ Union’s history began much earlier, in 1861, with the establishment of a debating society. As the university grew, so did the need for a dedicated space for student life. In 1908, a new building was opened, housing both the Men’s and Women’s Unions, albeit still separated. Can you imagine the excitement and discussions that must have filled those halls? The Men’s Union, evolving from a discussion club, boasted a debating society and various subject-specific societies. They even had their own clubhouse and magazine. The Women’s Union, established in 1900 after the men refused to admit them, initially leased a house on Oxford Road. These early unions were not just social clubs. They were hubs of intellectual and political activity. University students were actively involved in the Votes for Women movement, with local leaders including the Pankhurst family. Christabel Pankhurst, a Manchester graduate, was a prominent figure in the suffrage movement. Another notable figure, Ellen Wilkinson, a future Labour minister of education, graduated in 1913 and became a suffrage organiser. The University of Manchester Students’ Union’s history also intertwines with the arts. Anthony Burgess, in his autobiography, “Little Wilson and Big God,” describes the vibrant student life of the 1930s. He recounts working with the dramatist Joan Littlewood and her partner, Ewan MacColl, in Manchester. Burgess, then known as John Burgess Wilson, also contributed to the student magazine, “The Serpent.” The separate Men’s and Women’s Unions finally merged in the mid-1950s. They collaborated on the design of a new building, the present home of the University of Manchester Students’ Union, which opened in 1957. The building, designed by John Somerville Beaumont in a modernist style, marked a new era of unity and co-education. Anna Ford, a future well-known broadcaster, became the first woman to serve a full year as president of the joint union. Today, the University of Manchester Students’ Union stands as the largest students’ union in the UK, boasting over 40,000 members. From its segregated beginnings to its current status as a unified and vibrant hub, the union continues to play a vital role in the lives of Manchester’s students.