1980s
In 1983, the Union celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. The Texas Union Advisory Council, created that same year, began raising funds to endow a lectureship. By 1987, the endowment was established, and Henry Cisneros gave the inaugural lecture on March 30, 1988.
Financial problems dogged the Union throughout the early 80s, and various revenue and dining options were introduced to generate income, e.g. check cashing and video rentals. Space was leased in the Union for the first time to a credit union and a travel agency. The Union's computer store, the MicroCenter, opened in 1984, and over 5,000 computers were sold in the first year. The income generated by the MicroCenter provided critical financial support to the Union for a decade.
By the late 80s, the advanced age of the Union building's internal operating systems necessitated another extensive renovation. Students supported a fee increase to pay for the repairs, and the $9.1M project was completed in August 1993.
CompUTopia 1985
Computer Fair in the Ballroom