Unions' Public Art Blog

Every now and then while I am conducting research for a new exhibition I come across something that is too fun not to share. These photographs come from an article titled, "How to Wake Up," published in the November 1948 issue of ShowMe , the student operated campus humor magazine published from the 1920s through the 1960s. In the article, the author provides amusing advice to help MU students rouse themselves from bed in the morning. The difficulty of the task is stressed throughout the text. The author states: "Every morning 11,428 students at M.U. make some sort of attempt to get up. The aggregate will-power, muscle power and brain-power going into this daily project is incalculable." While I don't recommend all of the author's humorous suggestions, perhaps a good chuckle can get you going in the morning.  "COFFEE is the elixir of the bourgeoisie. It precipitates the tars of beverages, dissolves the scums of braunschweigers, and dispels the fo

Just inside the north wing of Memorial Union is an elegant event space named Stotler Lounge. A plaque inside the space indicates that the room is named in honor of A.C. Stotler and his wife, Mary Stotler. But who were these two people? A new exhibit in the display case inside Stotler Lounge chronicles the contributions of this couple to the University.  A.C. Stotler and Mary Maxwell Stotler, 1945 (photogrpahs courtesy of Sue Dalton) After completing his tour in the Navy during World War II, A.C. Stotler graduated from the University in 1944 with a BS in Business Administration.  During WWII, A.C. Stotler served aboard the USS Yakutat in the US Navy. The Yakutat saw action in a number of battles of the Pacific, including Okinawa, and received four battle stars for her WWII service. (1944) After completing his degree, the University appointed Stotler supervisor of allocation of emergency housing, its maintenance and regulation. This photograph shows a

March is Women's History Month and the MU Student Center is celebrating the occasion by featuring significant individuals and events relating to women's issues from the history of the University in displays located in the Lower Lair Lounge and in the square cases just outside of Mort's. Please stop by this month to learn a little about some of the important individuals who broke gender barriers at the University, women's athletics at Mizzou, feminist activism on campus, and more. In the mean time, here are some highlights from the exhibition:  Sarah Anna Ware (September 1905 Missouri Alumnus )   MU admitted its first female students in 1868, but initially only permitted women to enroll in the Normal School to qualify as teachers. The university changed this policy in 1871, thereby opening other departments to women. Sarah Anna Ware graduated with a B.S. degree in 1872, becoming the first woman to graduate from MU with a "non-Normal" degree.