Christopher Hall of Science, West Virginia Wesleyan College
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Built to provide more up-to-date facilities for the study of science, the Christopher Hall of Science was a long time in being built as a replacement for the facilities in Haymond Hall of Science. When Haymond was built in 1914, the facilities were considered state-of-the-art, but they were not up to the task by the 1960s. Ground was broken in the spring of 1967 and the building was ready for use by October 1968.
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Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
A major reason for building this builing was to attract science majors and high quality students for both the sciences and for Liberal Arts. It was also to be able to teach more advanced sciences such as Biochemistry and Geology. This was right at the time when space travel and other scientific work was at a peak.
Christopher Hall of Science is named in memory of H. Ward Christopher. He was the son of Mabel Neville Christopher (WVWC Class of 1918) and her husband Frank Christopher. H. Ward died in a tragic automobile accident at the age of 27. Frank was a successful mine operator in the Scotts Run area near Morgantown.
The Christopher family, very active in the Wesley Methodist Church in Morgantown, and responded to President Stanley Martin's plea for funding for this important building.
Hyma Auditorium is in this building as well, which is named in honor of long-time faculty member Nicholas Hyma.
The building includes lecture halls, laboratories, stockrooms, offices, a greenhouse, the George B. Rossbach Herbarium, and a planetarium. There are public programs in the planetarium weeky. Contact Tracey DeLaney for more information about these at delaney_t@wvwc.edu.
Christopher Hall of Science is named in memory of H. Ward Christopher. He was the son of Mabel Neville Christopher (WVWC Class of 1918) and her husband Frank Christopher. H. Ward died in a tragic automobile accident at the age of 27. Frank was a successful mine operator in the Scotts Run area near Morgantown.
The Christopher family, very active in the Wesley Methodist Church in Morgantown, and responded to President Stanley Martin's plea for funding for this important building.
Hyma Auditorium is in this building as well, which is named in honor of long-time faculty member Nicholas Hyma.
The building includes lecture halls, laboratories, stockrooms, offices, a greenhouse, the George B. Rossbach Herbarium, and a planetarium. There are public programs in the planetarium weeky. Contact Tracey DeLaney for more information about these at delaney_t@wvwc.edu.
Sources
McGrew, Paula L.. Decades of Dedication: Nicholas Hyma in His Element. DreamersAndGiants.com. https://dreamersandgiants.com/2019/03/25/decades-of-dedication-nicholas-hyma-in-his-element/
Miller, Brett T.. Our Home Among the Hills, West Virginia Wesleyan College's First 125 Years. Buckhannon, WV. West Virginia Wesleyan College, 2016.
The Pharos. February 25, 1969.