Records of Atwood Memorial Center

Identity elements

Reference code

220

Level of description

Collection

Title

Records of Atwood Memorial Center

Date(s)

  • 1956-2005 (Creation)

Extent

2.94 linear feet

Name of creator

(1966-present)

Administrative history

Atwood Memorial Center opened in the fall of 1966 as the social hub for St. Cloud State students as well as serving the campus community. Atwood has gone under many physical and administrative changes since 1966, but the mission remains the same - serve the student.

As St. Cloud State grew into a university, especially after World War II and the coming of age of the early Baby Boomer, calls for a student union increased. After a 1956 study authored by St. Cloud State regarding a campus student union, the process began to make it a reality. By 1961, efforts were underway to create a "living room for campus", including a student survey. In that survey, 80% of student polled were willing to be assessed a fees to support a student union.

Fundraising commenced to support the construction of a $1.5 million student union with students, friends and alumni, and the state to each pay a third of the cost. Ultimately, the state refused to pay for their third and unclear how the funds were raised.

Named for the Atwood family due to their financial support for the construction, and the fact that they building stood on the spot where their family home sat, Atwood opened its doors in September 1964. Over the next 40 years, the building expanded its physical footprint (1972, 1992, 2004) and remodeled countless times to support the changing tastes and needs of St. Cloud State students thus still being the "living Room for campus."

Atwood Memorial Center Directors:

Roger Wehrle: 6/1966-4/1971

Warren Reinecke: 7/1971-6/1972

Pat Krueger: 6/1972-6/1973 (acting)

Gary Bartlett: 7/1973-12/1981

Michael Hayman: 1/1982-6/1982 (acting)

Joseph Basil: 7/1982-7/1986

Joe Opatz: 8/1986-2/1995

Karla Myres: 1/1993-5/1993 (acting)

Margaret Vos: 2/1995-4/1998 (interim)

Margaret Vos: 4/1998-6/2013

Ed Bouffard: 7/2001-6/2002, 7/2006-6/2008 (interim)

Jessica Ostman: 7/2013-4/2014 (interim)

Anne Buttke: 4/2014-12/2014

Matt Trombley: 1/2014-10/2016 (interim)

Mitch Karstens: 11/2016-7/2018

Jessica Ostman: 9/2018-1/2020 (interim)

Clare Rahm: 1/2020-1/2021 (interim)

Matt Trombley: 1/2021+

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

Dating from 1956 to 2005, Atwood Memorial Center records consists of seven boxes that contain documents produced before the establishment and then the operation of the Atwood Memorial Center. The materials document the planning and fundraising for Atwood, the financial records, Atwood councils and advisory boards and various departments within Atwood.

Series 1: Fundraising, Construction and Phase II, 1956-1973

This series covers the initial planning and construction of Atwood, including the 1972 Phase II. Included here are construction specifics, contracts, Phase II financial statements, and initial fundraising to construct Atwood. This series also contains a 1956 paper that studied the need for a St. Cloud State student union.

Series 2: Financial Records, 1966-1988

This series includes annual reports and financial statements originating from the operation of the Atwood Memorial Center. Included within the financial records are items related to budget requests, allotments, disbursements, and expenditures.

Series 3: Councils and Boards, 1961-1998

This series contains meeting minutes, agendas, and correspondence from the councils and boards in Atwood. Included in this series is the Atwood Board of Governors (ABOG), the Executive Board, and the Atwood Council.

Series 4: Departments and Services, 1974-1997

This series documents the departments and services offered to students in Atwood. Included here are customer satisfaction surveys, records from the Recreation center and the Atwood stores.

Series 5: Administration, 1969-2005

This series documents the workings of Atwood at the administration level. This includes office correspondence, policies, position descriptions, and documents dealing with the master calendar. Also within this series is various publications produced by Atwood and Title IX records.

System of arrangement

Records are organized by series and then in alphabetical order.

Records are located at 29D.5a-6a.

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

There are no restrictions to the collection.

Physical access

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

Permission to publish, quote, and reproduce must be secured from the copyright holder.

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

    Language and script notes

    Finding aids

    Acquisition and appraisal elements

    Custodial history

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

    Accruals

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    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

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    Sources used

    Archivist's note

    Processed by Josh DeRoode in spring 2021.

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