McMaster Students Union - History

History

The McMaster Student Body, the original student government, was formed in 1890 when McMaster University's official first registrants began their studies. In 1911 McMaster women, protesting gender inequality and not being allowed to vote in the general student body elections, elected a female representative student body and formed the Women's Student Body. In 1925, the number of day students began outnumbering the number of residence students. To ensure that both day and resident students were properly represented, the student government split in two bodies, the Student Body and the Residence Council. In 1946 the McMaster Student Body was renamed McMaster Student's Union. In 1971 the MSU was incorporated as a non-profit organization without share capital under the Ontario Corporations Act.

The MSU's offices have been located in four buildings over time. First in the Alumni Memorial Building (opened in 1951 as the campus' first student centre), then Wentworth House (1961–74), Hamilton Hall (a former science building renovated to serve as a student centre, 1974-2002), and the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC, 2002–present). Referenda in 1987 and 1989 approved a long-term levy that funded approximately two-thirds of the $36 million capital costs of the MUSC. Ground for the new building was broken in March 2000 and the official opening took place in September 2002. A student fee retired the remaining term loan in 2010-11.