Old-School Membership Card is a Piece of Union History
The Lifetime Union Member card of Robert Oberwetter, class of 1938. Photo courtesy of Tom Oberwetter.
The memories of the Union last forever and apparently so do our cards! A true symbol of a lifetime member, Robert Oberwetter’s Union Membership from 1958 was shared with us by his son, Tom, who keeps the laminated piece of history in his wallet. While it might have trouble scanning on our machines, the card can still be used as a member ID!
The card is personally signed by Porter Butts, the Director of the Wisconsin Union from 1926-1968. Not only was he the founding director of the Union, he went on to promote the idea that student unions were, in his words, “a unifying force in the life of the college.”
His work and vision is remembered today in the Porter Butts gallery at Memorial Union, but it is just as exciting to see his legacy live on in a portable format. Thank you to Tom Oberwetter for sharing!
With so many past memories ingrained in the walls of the Memorial Union, it’s fascinating to imagine the other bits of Union history that other members carry around Madison and abroad. If you or anybody you know has a piece of Union history they’d like to share, let us know in the comments section below!
