I think many of the state university unions were built by student subscription. Perhaps they were considered nonessential to the state-funded mission of education—a rather quaint notion today, looking at the incredible health clubs and student activity centers now built to lure undergrads.
Until very recently, Chicago had a Childrens Memorial Hospital. At one point I did some research but was unable to determine who, exactly, was being memorialized. It struck me as a rather morbid name by modern standards. The new hospital is named for a large donor instead.
On the subject of memorials, is anybody else frustrated by how honorifics now have to include the full name of the memorialized person?
“Wilkins Street” is good enough, it doesn’t need to be “Ernest Clarence Wilkins III Street”. Martin Luther King is the godfather of this trend, because apparently “King Street” wasn’t specific enough. There needs to be some concession to convenience.
Full-name honorifics appears to be something that began around 1963, though there may have been earlier examples where it was necessary to clarify which Roosevelt was being honored. The tendency seems most pronounced with renamings rather than initial namings. Renamings for the late President Kennedy seemed to all be full-names—and a few years later the full name was helpful for cities that already had “King” streets. I think the honorific was a bit of political correctness, wanting to emphasize the accomplishments of “Doctor” Martin Luther King Jr at a delicate point for race relations in the US.
Today I think there’s somehow a perception that the honoree doesn’t receive his or her full due unless the renaming is properly ceremonial—with all full names. As a mapmaker I find this very frustrating, and I shorten them when I think I can get away with it.
Public usage of the longer names, though, is quite inconsistent. In some cities, people actually say “MartinLutherKingAvenue.” Here in Chicago, we say “King Drive.” In Austin, they say “M-L-K.” On the other hand, in the Chicago phone book, you look under “D” to find “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Amoco Station.”