Coffman Memorial Union, University of Minnesota, East Bank Campus, 300 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN
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*Dale from Forest Lake reflects on his time at the U of M on the 1968 Exhibit blog: [http://www.the1968exhibit.org/reflections/intellectual-and-spiritual-adventure "The Twin Cities were exciting in 1968, and as a junior at the U of M, I often felt I was part of one revolution or another."] | *Dale from Forest Lake reflects on his time at the U of M on the 1968 Exhibit blog: [http://www.the1968exhibit.org/reflections/intellectual-and-spiritual-adventure "The Twin Cities were exciting in 1968, and as a junior at the U of M, I often felt I was part of one revolution or another."] | ||
| + | *Dee Dee reflects on her time at the U of M in 1968: [http://www.the1968exhibit.org/reflections/1968-u-mn-institute-technology-my-freshman-year "The hardest days at the U were the days when the lottery draft numbers would be published in the newspapers."] | ||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
Revision as of 18:18, January 19, 2012
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Coffman Memorial Union | |
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| Address: | 300 Washington Avenue SE |
| Neighborhood/s: | University, Minneapolis, Minnesota, East Bank, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| City/locality- State/province | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| County- State/province: | Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| State/province: | Minnesota |
| Country: | United States |
| Year built: | 1940 |
| Additions: | In the 1970s the exterior was renovated. In 1999-2003 the exterior of the building was restored, and the interior was renovated to remove asbestos and to update the facilities. |
| Major Alterations: | Some/mostly intact |
| Historic Function: | College/university |
| Current Function: | College/university |
| Material of Exterior Wall Covering: | Brick |
| Part of the Site: | University of Minnesota, East Bank Campus |
(44.9735821° N, 93.2350697° WLatitude: 44°58′24.896″N
Longitude: 93°14′6.251″W)
Coffman Memorial Union, built in the late 1930s, was intended to be the student union for the University of Minnesota. The building was named after the President of the University, Lotus Delta Coffman, who served from 1920 until his death in 1938. Coffman Memorial Union opened in 1940.
Contents |
History
The 1960s-1970s
During the 1960s and 1970s, Coffman Memorial Union was a center for student demonstrations.
In 1968, civil rights was a growing issue on campus. On April 5, 1968 after the April 4 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., a crowd of nearly 500 young people and students attended a memorial outside of Coffman and then marched across the Washington Avenue bridge to Minneapolis City Hall. The march blocked two lanes of traffic on the bridge, and the crowd had moments of silence and five kneel-ins along the route at various intersections to commemorate the death of the civil rights leader.
As a result of King's assassination, University students founded the Afro-American Action Committee. On April 11, 1968 the group held a rally outside of Coffman Memorial Union to present seven black demands to the University, including:
- at least 200 full scholarships for black Minnesota high school students
- consideration of a proposal to eliminate tuition for underprivileged black high school students
- establishment of college guidance counseling and recruitment agencies aimed at the needs of black students
- a review of the Athletic Department's policies toward black athletes
- consideration of the possibility of using Martin Luther King's name for the O. Meredith Wilson Library on the West Bank campus
- representation of black students at all major University policy-determining groups
- an educational curriculum at the University to reflect the contributions of African Americans to American culture
University of Minnesota President Malcolm Moos set up a task force to review these demands. However, on January 15, 1969, when they felt many of their demands hadn't been met by the school, the Afro-American Action Committee staged an occupation of the administration building, Morrill Hall.
On April 26, 1968, another student rally of an estimated 1,500 people was held outside of Coffman Memorial Union at Northrop Plaza to fight against the Vietnam War, racial injustice and the draft.
Badges
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Photo Gallery
In the News
 Marchers hold a kneel-in in Martin Luther King memorial march from Coffman to Minneapolis City Hall, April 6, 1968 issue of Minneapolis Tribune |
 article on 7 Black Demands at U of M from April 12, 1968 issue of Minneapolis Tribune |
 photo from article on 7 Black Demands at U of M from April 12, 1968 issue of Minneapolis Tribune |
 p. 1 of article on rally at Northrop MN Daily April 29, 1968 |
 p. 2 of article on rally at Nothrop MN Daily April 29, 1968 |
Memories and stories
- Dale from Forest Lake reflects on his time at the U of M on the 1968 Exhibit blog: "The Twin Cities were exciting in 1968, and as a junior at the U of M, I often felt I was part of one revolution or another."
- Dee Dee reflects on her time at the U of M in 1968: "The hardest days at the U were the days when the lottery draft numbers would be published in the newspapers."
Notes
- http://www.1968exhibit.org
- http://www.mnhs.org/index.htm
- Coffman Memorial Union Website
- http://www.mndaily.com
- http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresources
