Up on the third floor of The Ohio State Union, tucked into a corner, there is a small study area. A couple of arm chairs and a table would lead you to think this part of the union was your everyday space-however four doors lining the wall say otherwise.
The first door is dark wood, plain with an oversized keyhole that screams ancient. 117A is stamped across the front and at a first glance the door looks plain..almost boring. Upon opening the door however, there is a wealth of information about The
Original Ohio Union, which held students from 1910-1951-making the door over 100 years old. Pictures, quotes, and other information tell the story of the Union’s origins of the country’s first union at a public university.
The next door is the same dark wood, however the shape is different. It has a medieval curviness at a first glance, with the same large doorknob and fixtures. This door belongs to the Women’s Union, which operated from 1922-1951 as a social center for the female students when their allotted one room center was too small (its almost funny to think that 100 years ago, men and women weren’t allowed to be in the same building.)
Next up is the door from the first Union on High Street. This building served both male and female students from 1951-2007, making it the longest operating Student Union. Information regarding the buildings long history and the decision to remodel are depicted with photos behind the lightwood and glass pane of the door.
The last door may look familiar, and that’s because it’s the design for the doors at our current Union. The Ohio Union logo on a metallic door handle is identical to the doors you would use to go into a conference room just down the hall-but what’s different is that by opening that door you’re probably going to yet another group meeting, and by opening this door you’ll get to see the decision’s between our current building, and the culmination of 105 years of The Ohio Union.