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Located in the heart of Colorado State University’s campus in Fort Collins, the Lory Student Center, fondly known as the LSC, enjoys a high percentage of sunny days and a breathtaking view of the Foothills. From its inception, the LSC has been a student-centered student center.
Today, this same fervor for student feedback emanates through the rejuvenated building that is standing 50-plus years strong. The LSC is a centralized location for students, staff, faculty, alumni and passersby in their united front as Ram fans.
After World War II, William Morgan set forth plans to prepare the campus for post-war enrollment. Morgan was CSU’s visionary president from 1949–1969. Administrative predictions projected that CSU would more than double in size in 1970. However, CSU met these enrollment markers much earlier in the year 1962. According to an interview conducted by Mike Davis, executive director of alumni relations in 2002, Morgan said the need for a new student union was a big one. CSU based the current location on a Morgan’s desire to create a place for students to gather between classes. Thus, the Lory Student Center would be built between academic buildings and student housing.
On April 9, 1960, the school began construction on the LSC. That same day, seven student leaders were featured in a photo around the “Coming Soon” sign for the up-and-coming student union. Since this historic day, these seven students have gained notoriety as the LSC 7. They demonstrate the importance of that student’s voice at CSU and within its student center. Jim Hindman, Nancy Allen, Nancy Williams, Lory Tyler, Nancy Mitchell, Bill Neighbors and Dennis Repp were among this original LSC 7. These valued members of the CSU community and student body represented the student voice that supported CSU through big changes toward a better future. Most importantly, they demonstrated what it truly means to be a CSU Ram and to further CSU’s aims to maintain a substantial student-centered focus.
The Associated Students of Colorado State University (ASCSU) alongside with Shelton Stanfill who became the director of public events in 1967 sought out to change the face of events at CSU. During this era Fort Collins wasn’t the biggest host for main stage events but not for long. With the recent opening of the student center and Moby Arena, the stage was now set for hosting a wide variety of concerts and cultural programs.
In 1961, CSU provided the first University subsidy to permit the expansion of cultural programs over an entire school year. Soon, the Fine Arts Series, along with other cultural events and presentations sponsored by the Student Center Board and the Associated Student Special Events Board, provided lasting opportunities for cultural enrichment and participation.
In 1969, The Rolling Stones opened their US. Tour in Moby Arena. In 1967, Chicago and the Beach Boys performed at Hughes Stadium. A mystery guest dropped in during the Beach Boys appearance- Elton John arrived by helicopter to take the stage with “The Boys”.
In 1961, CSU provided the first University subsidy to permit the expansion of cultural programs over an entire school year. Soon, the Fine Arts Series, along with other cultural events and presentations sponsored by the Student Center Board and the Associated Student Special Events Board, provided lasting opportunities for cultural enrichment and participation.
Notable countercultural icon, Abbie Hoffman delivers a speech to CSU students in 1970. Hoffman, an American political activist in the 1960’s and founder of the Youth International Party (Yippies), was known for his public antics, successful media events and political protests.
The Lory Student Center turned 25 years old in 1987 and updated its physical profile: adding a new west-facing solarium to the food court (which earlier had replaced a more traditional cafeteria restaurant) and dedicating a new sculpture garden.
As part of student center birthday festivities, LSC Food Services quite literally built a cake. To construct the cake, a tasty replica of the LSC, required 17 eight pound sheet cakes and 40 pounds of whipped cream icing. End result? The masterpiece served 1,000 people.
Another architectural detail included the instillation of a time capsule that was to be opened in 2012. Made of Lexan and approximately four-feet square, the time capsule was filled with five boxes of memorabilia from all over campus.
During the mid-to-late ’90s, students of color approached then President Al Yates to discuss the need for a place to hang out, a place where they could feel welcome and safe on campus. Those discussions with President Yates eventually led to the formation of the advocacy cluster (now Student Diversity Programs and Services), now housed in the LSC.
On the evening of July 28, 1997, a flash flood ripped through Fort Collins and the Colorado State University campus without warning. Known as the “Spring Creek Flood of ’97,“ the flash flood resulted from a series of heavy thunderstorms over a two-day period in west Fort Collins. In a matter of hours, normally ankle-deep Spring Creek became a roaring, brown river of mud and debris. Five people drowned south of campus when water swept them from their mobile homes.
Nikki Giovanni, one of the best-known African-American poets visits CSU in 1994. Frequently anthologized, Giovanni reached prominence during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Giovanni’s poetry expresses strong racial pride and respect for family.
Two tragedies — one local, one national/international — marked Colorado State University’s passage into the 21st century: the devastating July 1997 flood that inundated CSU’s main campus, and the Sept. 11, 2001, bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City. Both had profound influences on how the campus currently looks, operates, and functions as an increasingly diverse and complex community, addressing the challenges of today and ahead.
The early 2000’s brought with them momentous changes for both CSU and the nation. The events of 9/11 brought the campus community together to mourn and tackle the complex issues of living in a global society.
Student Affairs professionals, academic programs and private enterprise came together to create a student center environment where students could become engaged and prepared to move into the realities of the 21st century. Along the way, as it has for 50 years, the LSC continues in the strong tradition of its original mission to provide programs, services, and facilities to help create a campus of inclusion, access, opportunity, and optimism.
Grammy Award-winning rapper and actor Ludacris performed at CSU on November 18, 2010. Ludacris is best known for his club-banging hits such as ‘Get Back’, ‘Area Codes’ and ‘What’s Your Fantasy’.
In October of 2011, The Board of Governors approved the revitalization of the Lory Student Center. The project included renovation of 160,000 square feet of the existing Lory Student Center built in 1962, and added approximately 40,000 gross square feet of new space.
The three major aspects of the project were to improve the building infrastructure and systems, organize and highlight Student Diversity Programs and Services, and target growth that aligns with the land-grant mission of CSU.
The Revitalization of the Lory Student Center began in May of 2013 and it was open again for business by the beginning of the 2014 Fall semester. Milestones of the Revitalization program included:
Thousands of cheering CSU students and community members flooded onto campus to see Macklemore and Ryan lewis perform. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis headlined the outdoor concert on the heart of the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins. Organizers sold 10,000 tickets to the show, and many more watched from outside the security fences.
Sitting in William E. Morgan’s living room with a few of her peers, joking over cherries jubilee, Lory Tyler Runyan had no idea the impact she would be leaving on
After hitch-hiking to Alaska, go-go dancing in Fairbanks, and traveling the country in a car painted red, white, and blue, Nancy Williams York eventually decided to settle in Fort Collins
Colorado State University students clamoring to oust the football coach is a sentiment shared across generations. According to Bill Neighbors, a student here during the 1950s and one of the
On Thursday, Oct. 4, alumnus Dennis Repp received the William E. Morgan Alumni Achievement Award – the highest honor given by Colorado State University’s Alumni Association. This recognition comes at
There is something about Colorado State University’s beautiful campus and rich history that causes alumni to get sentimental. Nancy Benes – one of the “LSC 7” – is greeted with
On Feb. 10, 1962, Jim and Diane Hindman became one of the first couples to host their wedding reception in the Lory Student Center at Colorado State University. After getting
For those who grab their experiences by the horns, Colorado State University is not just a top-notch research institution with a long-standing history in Colorado, CSU is a lifestyle. Nancy