In the early 1920s, students at the Medical Center realized they didn't really have a campus, just a group of buildings. In 1921, the Associated Dental Students declared a series of "labor days," and using their own money, built a simple shack that they used as a cafeteria. The initial funds for the Millberry Union were donated by the dental students from the profits of this cafeteria, along with the Dental Supply Store, "The Coop," which opened in 1925.

In the fall of 1958, the Guy S. Millberry Union at the UCSF Parnassus campus held its grand opening with a concert by jazz great Dave Brubeck, a $1.75 buffet dinner, and a black-tie VIP gala in the gymnasium.

Millberry Union, named in honor of Dr. Guy S. Millberry, Dean of the College of Dentistry, was born from the idea that the union would serve as a "social laboratory," complementing the other educational departments by providing students with an opportunity to enrich their lives with social skills as well as professional skills.

Adds Dr. Troy Daniels, alumnus and faculty member:

"From the time of the School's founding, dental students purchased instruments and supplies from the same downtown San Francisco merchants that sold to practicing dentists. The students formed a collective and requested a bulk discount, and when they were turned down they purchased directly from the wholesalers and manufacturers. They used the same model for the bulk purchase of textbooks, eventually organizing purchasing on behalf of students in medicine and the other schools as well.

"Dean Millberry supported the project initiated by the students, provided for its continuation over the many years he was Dean, and invested the profits from the store, creating a fund eventually substantial enough to build a new store and cafeteria, along with the whole of what became the Millberry Union."