The above photo from the 1973 edition of Drake’s Quax yearbook depicts a skeleton of Olmsted Center, with the caption:
“Fun and function will be the Olmsted Center’s job when it debuts in January of 1974. The $4.1 million structure will be the new SAC home and also contain a grill, T.V., games and meeting rooms, vending machines and Parents Hall. The long-awaited student union will be strategically located across from Goodwin-Kirk.”
See more historical photos in the Cowles Heritage Collection online.
A renovation of the Olmsted Center lower level is currently under way. The project, inspired by student feedback, will greatly enhance the Drake campus. The renovation includes the addition of a new satellite fitness center for students offering cardio equipment and a free weights area. The project will also include larger, revitalized meeting room spaces and improved interior lighting, carpet and paint.
Richard Sussman, AS’51, and his wife, Lila, have generously donated funds to support the second phase of the project, which will begin in the summer of 2012. This phase will include the renovation (and renaming) of Bulldog Theater, the installation of new restrooms and revitalization of the Olmsted lobby.
