A Dedicated Geological Sciences Building – 1965

In 1965, the New Geological Science Building was built, and continues to house the Department of Geological Sciences to this day. Though the building was celebrated, it was a time of turbulence overall for the department because of “significant changes and alterations in student enrollment, faculty structures, and curriculum changes,” according to “A Century of Geology at the University of Missouri,” provided by the Department of Geological Sciences.

In fact, the building itself was a cause of stress, as the department had the duty of helping architects design it and the cost expending $1.3 million.

It was also the time the university became a four-campus system with a lot of modifications to academic and personal administration.

With a new building, however, comes new opportunities

In the early 70s, the department, again, had reason to celebrate when it received the first electron probe through a National Science Foundation grant. It was the first in the University System. It combined quantitative X-ray microanalysis along with imaging capabilities, and was used by students and faculty in pathology, physics, atmospheric sciences and more.