The MU Memorial

When World War I ended, building a memorial for Iowans who sacrificed their lives was a growing interest (About the MU). Many ideas were suggested, but the one that was agreed upon was a living memorial, a building that will preserve the memory of those fallen students as well as serve the current ones. Hence, The Memorial Union was created: a place of historical significance, beautiful architecture, and a campus-defining structure.

If you have ever entered the Memorial Union (also called the MU) from the north side, you have walked through the Gold Star Hall. The Hall serves as the ‘memorial’ in the MU. Its name came from an old tradition: If a family had a son or daughter sent to serve, they would stick a blue star on their window; and if the families’ child dies, the blue star is replaced by a gold one (Gold Star Hall). The first set of names carved into the wall was in 1928 and in the years to come, many additions were made. Causalities of World War II were added in 1959, followed by additions in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 of soldiers who fought bravely in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Somalia. In order to respect the names on the wall, please remove your hat when walking through the Gold Star Hall.

Designed by Proudfoot firm in 1920 (Architecture), The MU has a classical style reflecting the Roman and Greek architecture which was a trend in those time in the western world. The classic design is clearly depicted by Corinthian columns, which can be found on both sides of the north gate; paladin windows, which surround the structure; and triangular pediments; All of these features are shown in fig 1. The classical style reinforces the purpose of the building. The beautiful architecture attracts the eyes of the passersby while the old design conveys to them that the building is historically