In between the information desk and the Panera Bread in the Michigan Union, there is a hallway with an alcove. Right now, this alcove contains a piece of artwork by University alum Liz Barick Fall. Her mother, Catherine Gloria Palazzolo, was a U-M alum too — but she was never allowed in the Union.
The Michigan Union was formed in 1904 and allowed only men to hold membership. In 1919, the Union building, which has since become a beloved pillar of the University’s campus, was opened; women were only allowed to enter through the north entrance, and they had to be accompanied by a male escort for the entirety of their visit. For nearly 50 years after its completion, areas of the Union remained off-limits to women. During that time, the Michigan League was the designated place for women on campus.
This is a story I have known since my freshman year at the University. I was working at the Theatrical Properties Shop, walking from the Power Center to the League to pick up some packages with my boss, when he told me the League was originally for women and the Union for men. I remember how strange that moment felt — the sting of history’s recency, the fresh complication of the affection I had for the Union and the light “fun fact” airiness with which this man, who would always have been allowed in the Union, spoke to me, who would not have been…