Every Penn Stater knows and loves the HUB. As campus’s centerpiece and the student life hub (no pun intended), every University Park student has walked its halls.

But before the Hetzel Union Building (HUB) was constructed in 1953, a different structure housed Penn State’s student activities. Meet the Temporary Union Building, better known as the TUB.

The TUB made its Happy Valley debut in 1947 through extraordinary means. Instead of constructing a new building, the TUB was transferred piece-by-piece from Lebanon, Pa., where it previously served as a USO surplus building on an army base.

Even with modern highway systems, that’s nearly a 120-mile trek for the ol’ TUB. Although the black-and-white photo doesn’t show it, the original wooden structure was painted yellow. The transportation of this thing truly must’ve been a sight to behold.

The TUB, located on Shortlidge Road where the Chemistry Building currently stands, served as Penn State’s student union building until 1955. Student activities were largely moved to the brand-new HUB by then. No longer a temporary union building, the TUB was quickly renamed the Walnut Building the same year.

While it seems like the TUB’s Walnut Building’s story ends here, it’s actually just getting started. It went on to serve a much more significant purpose for Penn Staters, especially for Black students.

After the Walnut Building’s inception, it was used by the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Anthropology for a variety of different purposes. Eventually, the Black Cultural Center was established by students in the building. The center was officially recognized and established by the university in 1972.

According to Penn State Student Affairs, the center worked to “help alleviate the cultural shock of Black students…who were coming to what was perceived as an alien environment.”

The Walnut Building’s auditorium hosted hundreds of events each year, similar to the HUB today. It helped minority students and other students from diverse backgrounds find a home on Penn State’s campus. The iconic band Earth, Wind & Fire even performed in the hall.

The Walnut building underwent more renovations in 1986, which was when the center was renamed the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. Most folks know about this center today because it was moved to a larger location in the HUB in 1999.

Paul Robeson was born in New Jersey in 1898 and was the son of a former slave. He was an All-American athlete at Rutgers and eventually earned a law degree from Columbia. He went on to become a world-class musician and was lauded as one of the most brilliant figures of his time before he died in 1976.

His impact as a civil rights activist stretched far and wide. Heck, there’s even a Paul Robeson Cultural Center at Rutgers today.

But alas, all good things must come to an end. The storied Walnut Building/former TUB was demolished in 2000 so Penn State could construct the new Chemistry Building. In 2011, the building was commemorated with a plaque where it used to stand.