A historic pipe organ in the Memorial Union will not play again on campus due to a ruling by a judge.

According to the ruling made June 11 by District Court Judge Carl Baker, Iowa State does not have to use the $157,000 donated by Ralph Borck, a former university employee, to maintain the organ.

Borck left the money to the Memorial Union in 1998 while the union was still independent from the university.

On April 1, Iowa State took over the responsibilities of the Memorial Union. Baker ruled Iowa State is not obligated to honor Borck’s will since the union is no longer independent of the university.

“Iowa State wasn’t included in the discussion of the estate,” said John McCarroll, director of university relations. “Iowa State didn’t have any plans for the organ or see any future use for it, which we informed the estate.”

Advocates for restoring the organ would like to see Iowa State develop plans to use it more, said Paul MacVey, a member of the American Theater Organ Society.

“I don’t mean to pick a fight with university officials,” said MacVey, 1717 Roosevelt Ave. “From a historical standpoint, it’s a local treasure. There are only four in the state of Iowa.”

The organ was originally designed to provide music to accompany silent movies, McCarroll said.

“We can’t find a compatible use for it,” he said.

The organ could be used to teach the history of movies by building a program around it, MacVey said.

“We can’t get the music department excited because of financial drain,” MacVey said. “If they would protect it, I feel there would be time to develop a plan to use it more.”

The university is interested in working to find a new home for the organ, McCarroll said. A hearing to decide if the money left by Borck will go to charity or his relatives will be held July 2.

“I think that the important thing is the Memorial Union Board doesn’t see a future for the organ, and it needs to be removed for future renovation plans,” McCarroll said.

The union is designed to have an organ since it’s already there, and there are not many places to accommodate it, MacVey said.

“The only place to accommodate the organ is a theater in Nevada, which can’t due to financial reasons,” MacVey said.

The university has no plans to rehabilitate the organ and use it, because it doesn’t fit the union’s mission to serve current students, McCarroll said.

“I understand their position, but the organ is really kind of special,” MacVey said.