The Student Union is the hub of student life at Northwestern State University. Facilities and services are designed to serve the entire University community. The Student Union staff coordinates over 1,000 university and non-university events each year. Facilities can be reserved by contacting the Student Union office in room 214.

The Sylvan Friedman Student Union namesake is Sylvan N. Friedman. He was born in Natchez, La. in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana in 1908 and spent his entire life giving and working in this area. Most of his adult life was spent in government. He served as a Natchitoches Parish Police Juror from 1932 until 1944 and during that time, he was President of the Police Jury for eight years. In 1944, he was elected to the House of Representatives from Natchitoches Parish and served as a State Representative for two terms until 1952.

In 1952, he was elected to the Louisiana State Senate and served in the State Senate for twenty years until 1972. During that time, he variously represented Natchitoches, Red River, Winn, Grant and Rapides Parishes in the State Senate. He served a term as President Pro Tempore of the Louisiana State Senate.While serving in this capacity he had an opportunity to be acting Governor, during the absence of the governor and the Lieutenant Governor from the state, as his Senate position made him the number three person in succession to the governorship.

Sylvan Friedman was a cattleman and a farmer and was President of the Louisiana Cattleman’s Association, a member of the Southern Regional Education Conference, and was selected as Man of the Year by the Natchitoches Parish Chamber of Commerce. During his tenure in the legislature, he was instrumental in securing many facilities currently standing at Northwestern, including the Student Union, Prather Coliseum, several resident halls and classroom buildings. He died in 1979 and his family still resides in Natchitoches.