It’s a place many communications students call “home.” The Paxson Communications Center–which was the Student Union Building for most of its life–has a surprisingly unique history.
The idea of a Student Union Building on campus was initially proposed in March of 1951 to President Dean Walker. Two students, T.P. Jones and Randy Cooper, argued that a new building would provide a place for students to socialize, relax and get work done, as well as hold the student government, bookstore and laundry room.
Jones and Cooper suggested that the student body help fundraise for the new building, and even suggested that students perform many of the tasks skilled laborers would have in order to reduce construction costs. This came during a time in which Milligan faced many financial constraints.
Impressed by the students’ planning, Walker enthusiastically approved the plan for a new student building, as did the student body as a whole. Jones and Cooper drew up a floor plan, and construction was finally completed 1954. The new Student Union Building was dedicated on Nov. 27, 1954.
This student-proposed and designed building served as Milligan’s Student Union Building until the McMahan Student Center opened in 1987. The old SUB 7 had multiple “lounge rooms,” a sandwich grill, a laundry room and a game room.
After the opening of the current SUB 7, plans were drawn to remodel the former building for use by the Milligan Department of Communications. The Lowell W. Paxson Communications Center was dedicated on April 20, 1988, and was named in honor of Lowell Paxson, president of the Home Shopping Network whose donation made the remodeling possible.
The building is a direct result of student involvement, and serves as a place in which future students can learn about the communications industry for years to come.