Side A: Built in 1910, the old Ohio Union was the first student union building constructed on a public university campus and the fourth to be built in the United States. Made possible by a direct appropriation from the 77th Ohio General Assembly and private funds raised by students, the building officially opened on January 11, 1911 with considerable fanfare. By erecting a student union building, the university gave official sanction to extracurricular activities. Although there have been seven additions, this Jacobethan Revival style building retains its original exterior form and character. The “Old Ohio Union” was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.