Completed in 1958, Union’s women’s residence hall was named in honor of Ms. Pearl L. Rees. The east wing was added in 1965. Rees Hall can accommodate 300 students and has several guest rooms, a large, comfortable lobby and a chapel.

Pearl Rees served as preceptress (or in more modern terms, “dean”) for nearly 25 years, starting in 1921. An 1898 graduate of Union, she is one of the alumni represented by a rock in the Rock Pile. Before returning to Union, she had worked as secretary for the Atlantic Union Conference and preceptress at South Lancaster Academy, which later became Atlantic Union College. She died in Lincoln in 1966, meaning she was still around to see her alma mater and former employer dedicate this building in her honor.

In addition to the women’s dorm, Rees Hall also houses:

Did you know? Near the entrance of Rees Hall is a concrete table and bird bath. While we don’t know the exact date of their creation, these were made sometime around 1900, and have been in a few different locations around campus during their lifetime.

Don Love was once mayor of Lincoln, and one of the city’s wealthier citizens. In 1939, shortly before he died in 1940, he gave Union College money to build a broom factory to provide jobs on-campus for students. After he died, his estate gave more money to Union to expand the building and add a furniture factory, and it also built the Love Library at UNL. I think the timing proves Love loved Union more.

The building has seen a number of changes and updates, the most recent renovation taking place in 1984 which added the vaulted atrium and the current library. You can see places thoughout the building where the brick changes or a window has been bricked up, signs that show how the building grew over the years.

Access the following areas from the atrium entrance:

External doors lead to the following additional areas in the Don Love Building:

Did you know? When the library moved to the Don Love Building in 1984, the college installed an electronic catalog, the first one used in the State of Nebraska and the first one used by a Seventh-day Adventist college or university. During that same year, Union College became the first private college in the United States to put a computer terminal in every dorm room.

Date completed: 1975
Date named: 1978

An alumnus and history professor for nearly 60 years, Dr. Everett Dick was basically “Mr. Union College.” When the old administration building had to be torn down, he and his wife traveled the country raising money for a new one. Considering all he did for Union over the years, it seemed only appropriate that the building at the heart of campus was named after him.

If only it hadn’t been built in the architectural dark age we know as the 1970s. This was actually considered a fashionable and elegant building at the time.

Basement: amphitheater, classrooms, Student Health

First floor: Office of Advancement, Student Services, Campus Ministries, Academic Administration, Office of the President, Golden Cords Display, Three Angels sculpture

Second floor: classrooms

Third floor: classrooms, computer lab, Division of Business and Computer Science.

Fourth floor: Division of Human Development, Division of Humanities, Division of Religion

Fifth floor: Enrollment Services, Office of Records, Financial Administration, cashier’s window, Information Systems

Sixth floor: Student Financial Services