West Virginia University’s Mountainlair, the award-winning student union, will celebrates its 70th birthday this weekend. Since 1948, the Mountainlair has been the heart of the WVU campus, and continues to be the hub for campus and events, activities, and leisure. The Mountainlair is also the home to WVU’s premier late-night program WVUp All Night.
The celebration will kick off at 7 a.m. on Friday with outside food vendors, a Mini Art Show displaying the old Mountainlair Art Collection conceived in 1968, a Mountainlair trivia competition, and gold and blue cupcakes for all students, faculty, and staff from noon – 1 p.m.
The celebration will continue Saturday, beginning at 8 p.m., with free food, games, and crafts, among other fun activities.
“It is a blessing and an honor to work with such great students and staff over the years,” said Michael Ellington, associate vice president for Student Life. “The Mountainlair reflects WVU’s diversity and educational, and collaborative mission through the programs and services it offers.”
The original Mountainlair, a prefabricated, wooden building, was acquired from the U.S. Navy in 1948, and was placed adjacent to the old football stadium on the Downtown Campus. The building had a bowling alley, snack bar, a dance studio, large gymnasium, a lounge, and several small meeting rooms. Alumni John Schott and his wife created the name “Mountainlair,” or home of the Mountaineers, the same year.
During the 1960 WVU campus facelift, a multi-million-dollar complex would replace the old student union, and dedication of the new three-story building in the fall of 1968 brought new traditions and memories to the campus of West Virginia University. The Mountainlair quickly became the hub of activity on the downtown campus with more than 25,000 people passing through its doors each day.
In 1988, work began on a $4.9 million renovation project that added about 30,000 square feet of space to the building which created not only more space but natural lighting, a completely new building front, and a two-level glass-enclosed food court replacing the outside Sunken Gardens. The Mountainlair now had 220,000 square feet, hosted 10,000 events per year and was utilized by 35,000 people per weekday during the regular academic year. Shortly after this renovation, the Mountainlair was featured as one of the 22 Most Outstanding College Facilities in the world by the Association of College Unions International.
“I would like to add my thanks to the hundreds or thousands of individuals and organizations involved in the planning, funding, construction, and operation of Mountainlair over the past 70 years,” Robert F. McWhorter, a retiree and the first director of the current Mountainlair. “It is hoped that the Lair will continue to serve WVU, its students, and the campus community for the next century as well as it has in the past 70 years.”
To see a full list of events for the 70th birthday celebration, please visit the schedule here.