The Activities Center, located on the third floor of the Compton Union Building, operates under the auspices of the Associated Students of Washington State University. The Activities Center is engaged in organizing and directing many of the campus-sponsored group activities for the University community.

The Activities Center was established with the approval of the Board of Regents in spring 1947 in response to the campus community's demands. It began operations in the fall of 1947, The primary objective of the Activities Center was to enable joint student-faculty coordination and participation in student and campus life. This joint effort was to be augmented by a staff of professionals, The goal of this staff was "to bring efficiency and direction by coordinating and directing existing student organizations, by assisting new groups in developing new programs, and by aiding individual students in planning a balanced program of activities."

When the Activities Center was organized, most of the social activities and student involvement in campus life were coordinated by living groups. As students' living arrangements became more decentralized, the importance of the Activities Center as an organized body increased. It became a place for general guidance, assistance, and counseling for student committees, groups, and concerns. Furthermore, the Activities Center became a central repository for committee records. Evaluations of past activities could be used in making recommendations for future programs. In this regard, on an annual basis, evaluative reports are filed with the Activities Center so that appraisals of the various programs can be made. Such reports are filed by committee chairmen as well as by faculty advisors to the individual committees.

The Activities Center also played a role in the re-organization of the student government. Before the Activities Center was opened, the major student organizational structure was the class government system. This system prevailed for a period following the implementation of the Student Activities Center. Gradually, especially during the 1960's, the A.S.W.S.U. superseded the class government system which was finally abandoned in 1968. This led to increased student involvement in the workings of the Activities Center. The Activities Center has changed from a student/faculty venture guided by a professional staff, to become more of a joint effort on the part of students and administrators who specialize in campus student activities. (For further information see: Archives 17, Records of the A.S.W.S.U. Activities Center, 1946-1973).