Iconic University Images Showcased throughout Union’s First Floor

A photo gallery that showcases the University’s rich history and present points of pride is now on permanent display throughout the first floor of the Union.

Spearheaded by the Rev. Sean Hogan, C.S.Sp., executive vice president for student life, the project was a joint effort by Tim Lewis, director of commuter affairs, and Tom White, University archivist. It provides the finishing touch to a floor that has been completely remodeled in the past year.

“Back in the ’90s when the Union expanded on the first and second floors and we were able to create the larger Commuter Center, I thought that it might be a good project for Student Life to hang ‘then and now’ pictures,” explained Hogan. “This would give students a sense of the massive changes that have taken place on campus over the years since our founding.”

When the University decided to completely upgrade the first floor, it was decided to expand the project with new and larger photographs.

“We kept the ‘then and now’ theme to show what various areas on campus once looked like and how they currently appear,” explained Lewis. “It was a long process, going through hundreds of pictures and deciding which ones to use.”

In addition to the comparison pieces, Room 109 features photographs of all past University presidents, which were formerly displayed in the Administration Building’s boardroom.

White, who pulled the iconic and historical photos from University archives for the project, selected particular images to show the history and development of the University from its humble beginnings until today.

“It helps the students appreciate the effort and hard work that it took to build Duquesne into the University that it is, both physically and academically,” said White. “Hopefully it will also create a feeling of connection to the generations of other students that have studied on the Bluff in the past.”

“I think both students and the University community will find the pictures and history associated with them to be quite fascinating,” Lewis added.