Modeled after Manhattan’s renowned Stork Club, the Penthouse was a student nightclub operated in the Purdue Memorial Union during the late 1940s and early ’50s. Briefly situated in the Union’s faculty lounges, the club relocated to the South Tower in 1950. Tuxedoed hosts welcomed patrons and escorted them to candlelit tables while adult chaperones ensured the club maintained an air of propriety.

Generally open one weekend a month from 8:00 p.m. until midnight, the Penthouse offered “sophisticated evenings of entertainment and dancing,” according to the 1952 Debris. Floor shows were presented twice nightly and featured outstanding student talent, including masters of ceremonies, vocalists, musicians, and magicians. Partygoers danced to recorded music between the acts and sipped on cola and ginger ale.