Bruce & Bethel Hagen fund Palmer College’s Student Union with a $1,000,000 gift
Campus: Palmer College of Chiropractic — Davenport, Iowa
Facility: Bruce & Bethel Hagen Student Union (opened 2020)
Palmer College credits alumni Bruce C. Hagen, D.C. (Main ’53) and Bethel (Main ’53) with the $1 million gift that created the Bruce & Bethel Hagen Student Union at the Davenport campus. The Union opened in 2020 as a modern, student-centered space for study and downtime.
Quick facts
- Gift amount: $1,000,000 (alumni donors Bruce C. Hagen, D.C., and Bethel)
- Opening: 2020
- Location: Campus Center, Floor 1 — alongside Campus Grounds Café, a Nursing Room, and a Quiet Study Area
- Amenities: gaming pods, large-screen TVs with lounge seating, pool, shuffleboard, arcade games, a golf simulator, and the Campus Grounds coffee shop
About the Hagens
Dr. Hagen chose chiropractic after serving with the U.S. Air Force during World War II. The Hagens settled in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where they built a long-running practice and family. Three of their sons later graduated from Palmer, and a grandson has attended the Main campus.
Publication
Dr. Hagen authored How to Live to Be 100 in Spite of Your Doctor (The Hagen Publishing Company, 2006; ISBN 0977876306).
Why it matters
The Student Union gives Palmer students a daily hub for community, quiet study, and stress relief—strengthening campus life at the profession’s founding college.
