[1] Construction of the Union began in 1929 at an original cost of US$350,000, which came from the million dollar fundraising campaign – the first in the university's history – to build both structures.

By the time the Union Parking Garage was completed in the early 1980s, the Will Rogers Cafeteria, once Norman's favorite Sunday-after-church luncheon spot, had become a relic, and its decor – and food offerings – were firmly stuck in the 1950s.

The book exchange was only large enough to hold the engineering texts and supplies; Crossroads Restaurant was the lone competition to the Will Rogers Cafeteria.

Soon after the parking garage was opened, student organization offices began to move back into the Union, which brought more foot traffic into the building.

As enrollment again increased in the late 1980s and early 1990s, small areas were refurbished on an intermittent basis, but it was clear that the Union needed more than cosmetic improvements.

In October 2006, custodians began to notice small paint chips and sawdust on window sills on the Union's third floor.