Memorial Lounge

It is appropriate to pause and remember the students and faculty who have served in our nation’s military as we commemorate the horrific events of 70 years ago at Pearl Harbor. One of the least well known areas of the Wilkinson Student Center is Memorial Hall. This quiet room in the northeast corner of the second floor of the Wilkinson Student Center is designed to help visitors remember those who have fought to preserve our freedoms.

Memorial Hall, ca. 1960s

The original Memorial Lounge was built as an addition to the Wilkinson Student Center in 1967. The lounge was sponsored by the Alumni Association. The lounge contained memorial plaques, etched with names, that were hung to pay tribute to the 207 BYU students and alumni who died in war. During the renovations begun in 1995, the lounge and plaques were moved to a new room adjacent to the Wilkinson Center’s East Ballroom. This new area was rededicated on November 7, 2000. Now known as Memorial Hall, it is meant to be a place of quiet reflection.

The University Archives is home to a collection that documents the importance of Memorial Hall to campus. This collection is UA 797 Brigham Young University Alumni Association Memorial Hall dedication files, 1980-1983. It contains work files concerning the dedication for the Memorial Hall in the Ernest L. Wilkinson Center. It also includes a copy of the program and accompanying brochure listing students killed in Korean and Vietnam wars as well as a brochure listing students killed in World Wars I and II. The second brochure also lists students who served in World War II who were not killed.

If you would like to learn more about UA 797, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.