Henson Science Hall

In 1988, Salisbury State University’s School of Science and Technology was renamed after aviation philanthropist Richard A. Henson, who had endowed the school for $2.5 million. In 1990, plans were proposed to remodel the science school’s building, previously named Devilbiss Hall. However, these remodeling plans were abandoned in favor of constructing a new science hall for $37.3 million. The Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology was relocated to the new building, while the Departments of Nursing and Health Sciences would move from off campus facilities on Powers Street to Devilbiss.

A single story dining hall and a multipurpose building were demolished to open space for the new science building. A groundbreaking ceremony for Henson Hall took place in November of 2000. Maryland Governor Parris Glendening was in attendance, along with University president Dr. Janet Dudley-Eshbach, and Maryland State Delegate Norman Conway. Henson Hall was completed and formally dedicated in September of 2002. A three story brick structure of 145,000 square feet, the building was the largest on Salisbury University’s campus at the time of its completion. 

Henson Hall houses the departments of biology/environmental health, chemistry, physics and engineering, mathematics and computer science, and geography and geosciences. In addition to ninety-five faculty and staff offices, the building also has ten classrooms, two tiered auditoriums, thirty-two teaching laboratories, twenty research laboratories, and a cafe. This includes the Guerrieri Laboratory Wing, which had been endowed by the Guerrieri Family Foundation of Ocean City. The same foundation had also provided an endowment of $850,000 to pay for state of the art equipment for the new building. Henson Hall continues to serve as the hub of Salisbury University’s science school, housing learning and research spaces as well as professors offices.

Bradley, Sylvia. Salisbury: From Normal School to University 1925 - 2001. Salisbury, Maryland. Salisbury University Press, 2002.

Salisbury University. University Dedicates Henson Science Hall, Salisbury University. September 4th 2002. Accessed May 28th 2020. https://www.salisbury.edu/news/article/University-dedicates-Henson-Science-Hall.