In early 1983, the University of Alabama in Huntsville was running out of space to accommodate the activities of the College of Engineering. Many qualified prospective students were being turned away from the college, due to inadequate space. The Engineering Building solved this problem. By February 1983, funding had been secured for construction. The Jones and Herrin architectural firm was commissioned to build it, for a total of $4.5 million, $3.8 million of which was used for the construction itself, with the further $.7 million for other fees and furniture. The building had "about 40,000 square feet of classroom, laboratory and office space"[1] and a parking lot that could hold 400 vehicles.On the 5th of October,1983, ground was broken for the building, but it took about a year to complete. Gentrac Inc. of Decatur, Alabama, constructed the building, which was completed late summer 1984. Classes were held in the building that September.Within the building you will find the College of Engineering offices as well as offices related to Chemical and Materials Engineering. Located adjacent to the Von Braun Research Hall and the lagoon dug nearby, it sits in the midst of the UAH South campus.

Student running near the Engineering Building.

Engineering Building in UAH Archives and Special Collections - Digital Collections

Website

Engineering Building in LOUIS Institutional Repository

Under construction from 1983 to 1984, the Engineering Building was made for the growing number of engineering students. The building still houses engineering classrooms, offices, and academic spaces.

Engineering Building

Admin

A walking tour to explore and explain the history of the University of Alabama in Huntsville

Designed by architect W.R. Dickson of Huntsville, Morton Hall was constructed by Perusini Construction of Birmingham in 1960 for a total cost of $728,142.43. The two-story building housed "all faculty, administrative, and student government offices, thirty-one classrooms, five laboratories, the library, a book store, and a snack bar."[1] The building was named after John R. Morton, the first acting director of Huntsville Campus of the University of Alabama.In 1963, Dave McGlathery walked into Morton Hall, the first African American student at the University. McGlathery held a mathematics degree and was working for NASA, but pursued a second undergraduate degree in engineering. Two days after the first African American students enrolled at the Tuscaloosa branch of the school in 1963, McGlathery left his home, which was protected by the Alabama National Guard, to make an attempt to register for engineering classes. Accompanied by state troopers, McGlathery entered Morton Hall, thereby being accepted into the University of Alabama-Huntsville Center.UAH continued to grow and thus expanded beyond the original Morton Hall, and Morton was itself expanded in 1977. This expansion was created by Dickson and Associates of Huntsville and constructed by Word &amp; Boggus Inc. of Guntersville. The total cost of the expansion was $624,000.00, funded by an Alabama state bond issue. The addition included "a lecture auditorium of 132 seats, three seminar/conference rooms, a faculty lounge, two student lounges, thirty-four additional offices, two new labs, and an elevator."[2] Following the addition, the hall then housed academic offices, and the humanities and behavioral sciences.Morton Hall was again expanded and renovated in 2020.

Built in 1960, Morton Hall was the first building on The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) campus. Today it is home to classrooms, computer labs, and offices. Morton Hall was remodeled and expanded in 2020. A courtyard between Morton Hall and the Frank Franz Residence Hall provides a space for outdoor recreation.

Morton Hall

Until 1969, UAH library resources were held in Morton Hall and the Graduate Studies Building. Funding to build a permanent building were secured in 1969-1970. That new building, a three-story building storing the 55,000 volumes UAH owned, was open eighty-one hours a week. Originally, UAH's long-term plan envisioned three additional library buildings. The second building phase occurred in 1971, while the third was added in 2000.In 1996, the university library was dedicated to local attorney M. Louis Salmon due to his service and leadership within the UAH community. Salmon was the son of a Mobile bookkeeper and nurse. He received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alabama. He then enlisted in the US army to fight in World War II, rising in the ranks to become a Second Lieutenant on the 23rd of May in 1944, and then being assigned as platoon leader. He was promoted to First Lieutenant and then Captain before separating from the army in 1946. He then returned to school, receiving a Bachelor of Laws and then a Juris Doctorate. He chaired the University of Alabama Huntsville Foundation from 1986 until his death in 1993.

Constructed in 1969, the library consolidated The University of Alabama in Huntsville's collection of records and volumes out of their cramped and limited space spread across various campus buildings. The library was expanded several times and in 1996 was dedicated to M. Louis Salmon, a prominent local attorney who supported UAH and the Huntsville community.

UAH M. Louis Salmon Library

The Science and Engineering Building originally housed the science departments, the Division of Engineering, and several faculty and staff offices. It was constructed for $3,200,000, $2,300,000 of which came from the federal government, with an additional $800,000 from the state and local level. The building was opened for studies in 1969, making it one of the oldest specialized buildings on the entire UAH campus, along with Von Braun Research Hall and the M. Louis Salmon Library. When originally constructed, it had room for greenhouses and animal rooms on the roof for the purposes of research, as well as labs for engineering, biology, and chemistry in the building. It also had a directional antenna to receive the Educational Television Network.In 1993, the building was re-named in honor of Dr. Harold J. Wilson. Dr. Wilson was one of UAH's first African American full-time faculty members. He was hired in 1972 as an associate professor of biology alongside Lee E. Williams, a Black professor of history. Dr. Wilson specialized in cell physiology and electron microscopy. In 1976, he became the chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences and in 1984, he became the Dean of the College of Science. Notably, Dr. Wilson had an integral role in establishing UAH as a space-grant university, during his time as a professor, a chairman, and as a dean. He worked with staff at UAH and representatives from outside UAH to secure grants for research. He served as Dean until his death in 1991.Outside of Wilson Hall, one will find a historic marker regarding one of the most important discoveries on campus in 1987, one regarding superconductivity. (See Superconductivity entry below)Today, Wilson Hall is home to the Art Department and the faculty and student health clinics. The art gallery on the first floor hosts UAH artists' work as well as visiting art exhibitions.

Constructed in 1969, Wilson Hall was first known as the Science and Engineering Building, as it housed the expanding science and engineering departments. On the 14th of May in 1993, it was dedicated to Dr. Harold J. Wilson, one of the university's first full-time African American faculty members. Hired in 1972, Wilson was known for his dedication to education and historic contributions as a faculty member. It was also the site of a historic superconductivity discovery in 1987.

Wilson Hall

In 1987, we were already aware of superconductivity - that is, the conduction of electricity with no or negligible resistance. Researchers had achieved it at very low temperatures below about 77° Kelvin, in some cases approaching absolute zero, but the issue that arose was the inefficient ways we had of cooling it, namely liquid helium. To cool it more efficiently and more affordably, the temperature at which a material superconducts would have to be over 77° Kelvin so that liquid nitrogen could be used instead. The first discovery of such a material was at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.Dr. Wu of the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Dr. Chu of the University of Houston observed this in an experiment conducted on January 29th of 1987 using an alloy composed of Yttrium, Barium, Copper, and Oxygen. Working under Dr. Wu at UAH were graduate students James Ashburn and C.J. Torng. The team produced a superconductor that worked at temperatures as high as 95° Kelvin (later observed at 98° Kelvin in a different laboratory), which was previously unheard of. This team was noticed by not only UAH's local community in Huntsville, but also by national news agencies, including positions on the front pages of The New York Times and The Atlanta Constitution, as well as being covered on the Cable News Network (CNN). It was such a significant achievement that it also attracted further funding for UAH's research in various other fields.On the 8th of June in 1987, it was reported that UAH received a grant totaling $120,000 for superconductivity and laser optics research from the state of Alabama, as a result of the discovery made on the campus. Governor Hunt stated in regards to the grant:<blockquote>The potential scientific and commercial benefits of this discovery are limitless. This type of breakthrough means national prestige, a sharpening of Alabama's competitive edge, and an important boost to the state's economy.[1]</blockquote>UAH would receive an additional $160,000 from NASA to continue research in this field as this discovery could have a significant impact on their efforts as well. This specific scientific discovery that occurred in a UAH lab was globally important, as it ultimately would allow for several real world applications of superconductors that we still use today, including, but not limited to "levitated trains, power generators and transmission lines without resistive losses and very large magnets for medical magnetic resonance imaging."[2]It was a significant breakthrough in three quarters of a century's work on superconductivity and had a lasting effect not only on UAH's ability to receive grants and other funding but also on the larger scientific community. To honor and to document this history, a historic marker was installed outside of Wilson Hall, then called the Science and Engineering Building, that provides information for this significant breakthrough and gives credit to the graduate student who first observed the spectacular temperature.

The historic marker located outside of Wilson Hall details the 1987 creation of a superconductor that retained its properties over the 77° Kelvin threshold, where cooling becomes more efficient and, in many cases, cheaper. The material was discovered under Dr. Wu of The University of Alabama in Huntsville's guidance, by graduate students, and verified by Dr. Chu of the University of Houston. It is one of many scientific discoveries over the years made on the UAH campus, by UAH students, staff, and faculty. This breakthrough was achieved at a laboratory in what is now called Wilson Hall, then known as the Science and Engineering building.

Superconductivity Historic Marker

In 1973, the Bendall family donated a 19th-century, Greek Revival style chapel standing in Hazel Green, Alabama, to The University of Alabama in Huntsville. After being relocated to UAH, volunteers from UAH and local high schools spent 3,000 hours restoring it.The renovation plans and related documents were donated by Jones and Herrin, a local architectural firm. According to Harvie P. Jones, a notable architect from the area, it could be the oldest fully intact religious structure in Madison County, should it be older than 1859. He noted that it is difficult to pin down the exact time of construction, but was enthralled by it nonetheless, stating:<blockquote>In any event, it is decades older than any church in Huntsville. The four oldest are dated to the 1860s and 1870s. This may be the oldest building of its type in Alabama. If not, then it is certainly among the very few.[1]</blockquote>The Huntsville Times reported on the chapel being moved to the UAH campus and on its use as an art gallery. The structure would serve as not only a space for the local art community, but also a significant piece of architectural history. Professor Jeffrey Bayer, the sculpting instructor of the time stated for The Huntsville Times:<blockquote>We save a 19th century building which is a veritable museum of 19th century construction techniques, and save it in a viable way, a way that life to it. It adds another facet to what UAH is all about, the arts as well as the sciences.[2]</blockquote>The original pews were scattered about the region and most were rotted. Some were found at Sharon Johnston Park and moved to the 1836 Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Moorseville, Alabama. This building in Mooresville was still in use as of 1994 as a meeting hall and concert space.In 1976, the restored chapel was opened for its first use on the UAH campus as an art gallery. The first art displayed in it were the prints of Ms. Paschall, a part time UAH instructor. In 1998, it underwent a second renovation. The building still serves as a forum for campus events.

Built circa 1830, this was originally a chapel located in Hazel Green, Alabama. This makes it one of the oldest religious structures in Madison County. The chapel was donated to UAH in 1973 by the Bendall family, after which it was carefully moved to UAH and restored by UAH and Huntsville volunteers. Since its 1976 opening, it has been used as an art gallery.

Union Grove Gallery

Construction on Marion Beirne Spragins Hall began in the mid-to-late 70s and was officially opened in October of 1977, with a swimming pool, handball and racquetball courts, a gymnasium, and weight rooms. The building was dedicated to Marion Beirne Spragins, a local civic leader, in March of 1978.Marion Beirne Spragins served as the chairman of the University of Alabama Huntsville Foundation, a position he used to raise money for UAH's expansion. He gathered the funding to build Madison Hall, the graduate studies building. In the 1970s, he assisted in getting federal assistance to create a UAH nursing school. And he donated approximately 1,000 acres of land to the foundation in his will. For these reasons and more, UAH faculty and staff saw it fitting to dedicate the building to him in "perpetual honor".[1]Today, Spragins Hall is home to the UAH Athletics department and hosts basketball and volleyball games. It also contains the locker rooms for men's and women's soccer, as well as a film room and academic center. Located off of Ben Graves Drive, it is a convenient location for all sporting and athletic related events and physical education on the university campus.

Spragins was constructed in 1978 for the use of UAH's sporting and athletics programs. Not long after construction, the building was dedicated to Marion Beirne Spragins, a noted leader at UAH and a Huntsville civic leader. Marion Beirne Spragins contributed to the expansion of UAH and left a significant amount of land in his will for UAH's use. Today, the hall still provides UAH's sporting and fitness programs with a place to practice and compete.

Marion Beirne Spragins Hall

The Humanities Building of the University of Alabama in Huntsville opened in January of 1972. Before Roberts Hall was built, the English and History departments were contained in portables behind Morton Hall. Once the Humanities Building was complete, those departments moved into the new building. Other humanities disciplines, like music, were later housed in the building, as well.The Humanities Building was dedicated on the 14th of May in 1988. Its namesake was Dr. Frances C. Roberts. Dr. Roberts was one of the original five instructors at the University Center in Huntsville, teaching history at the school. She continued to be a part of UAH's history department and of the larger university community for many years, leaving an impact on faculty, staff, and students alike. UAH President at the time of dedication, Frank Franz considered Dr. Roberts to be:<blockquote>A superior professor who had an impact on countless people in North Alabama. She was a forceful and effective advocate for liberal arts and indeed the whole university. She personified the dedication to excellence and caring in higher education[1]</blockquote>She left a lasting mark on her department and the entire university history. She helped establish liberal arts at UAH, and for that reason, the Humanities Building was dedicated in her name. Today, Roberts Hall is home to the Music Department and the College of Education.

Originally known as the Humanities Building, this building was constructed in the early 1970s and first used for classes in 1972. In 1988, the building was dedicated to history professor Dr. Frances C. Roberts for her dedication to historic preservation and research in Huntsville.

Roberts Hall

The University Center opened in 1984 as a replacement for the former Student Union Building. Students initially complained that the building was not meeting the needs of students as most of the space was dedicated to staff and faculty offices.<blockquote>The Union is there for the students to take. We ought to go over there and just occupy the place and use it like it ought to be used. They (the administration) are going to just keep going on like that until we stop them. We're paying for that place and it should be set up for us to use more than anyone else.[1]</blockquote>Students worked to change the attitude of university staff, and by August of 1984, the new programs director, Ms. Bardie Brown was trying to create more student life, including updating use of the University Center. Ms. Brown stated that "Once they get the plants in and more life is created, the place will take on a much more enthusiastic atmosphere."[2] She also urged students to be patient with the changes on campus, as there would be more to come.Offices that were formerly in the Student Union moved out to various areas around campus starting in July of 1984. The University Center now housed the University Book Store (formerly Book Nook), the University Cafeteria (which was a notable improvement from previous facilities), the University Center Office, a game room, and a lobby. The University attempted to make this building as forward-thinking and universal as possible by instituting computerized cash registers in the bookstore with Sperry computers available at a discount and new UAH-branded supplies available for purchase, and a buffet room with more seating in the cafeteria.At some point, the University Center was renamed as the Conference Training Center. Today, the Charger Café (formerly the University Cafeteria) is still in the building.

Opened in 1984, the Conference Training Center on The University of Alabama in Huntsville campus, formerly known as the University Center was intended as a social building to replace the former Student Union Building. This new, larger building would house university and community events. The building and its functions have changed over the years. Today, it's a mixed-use facility with collaborative spaces and the Charger Café, which is a popular on-campus dining location.

Conference Training Center

The College of Nursing began in the 1970s, and the Nursing Building was constructed in 1976 for that program. The building stored "administrative and faculty offices, open-ended classrooms, educational forums, service areas, and multi-purpose common areas"[1] in a total of 46,000 square feet. On the top floor, there was a large, modern Learning Resources Area designed to meet the needs of the College of Nursing at that time.With the school growing and technology evolving, it became necessary to renovate and expand the building. In 2014, renovations and an expansion were begun for a cost of $17,000,000.The renovations brought the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and was outfitted with modern technologies, an auditorium, and gathering spaces for students, along with an improved Learning Resources area. The top floor became meeting spaces. The new design included access to the greenway from the building's new front.

Originally constructed in 1976, and renovated and expanded in 2014, the Nursing Building is home to The University of Alabama in Huntsville's College of Nursing. The nursing program existed prior to the building's construction, but the dedicated building space coincided with the nursing programs' increasing competitive standing in the field. Within the building are classrooms, medical equipment, and appropriate facilities to provide all necessary services for the College of Nursing.

Nursing Building

Workers broke ground in 1986 on what was then known as the Tom Bevill Center for Professional Development and Continuing Education. Built to house not only the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Division of Continuing Education but also the national training headquarters of the Army Corps of Engineers. It was intended to bring the two communities and their functions closer together. Huntsville, being a military city, and UAH, providing research support for defense contracts, saw the need to integrate the two communities better, and the Bevill Center was one step towards that goal. The construction of this facility brought UAH and Huntsville into a new era, as Dr. Michael Oliver, then director of the Division of Continuing Education put it:<blockquote>Huntsville is a city with a unique opportunity for extensive interaction between the technical, business and academic communities. The Bevill Center provides a convenient and comfortable setting for such interaction. The complete resources of a forward-looking University are at hand.</blockquote>Open in 1988, the building was impressively large, at 93,000 square feet, housing "100 hotel rooms, a dining area, executive classrooms, administrative facilities and an attractive lobby/atrium area."[2] The hotel and restaurant facilities of the building were run by the Marriott corporation under a University contract.The building was named after Tom Bevill, a United States Congressman from Alabama's 4th congressional district at the time, because "his leadership and diligent work positively influenced the Army's decision to locate the headquarters building for all training activities in Huntsville on the UAH campus."[1]The Bevill Center hosted many conferences, including Red Star 2000 which brought prominent Soviet scientists to Huntsville to talk about their space technology advances and open up cooperation between the two nations' scientists.In summer of 2020, the Bevill Center was converted to a dormitory facility, now maintained by UAH Housing, that contains 100 studio apartments for upperclassmen (sophomores, juniors, and seniors), as well as a first floor laundry room, kitchen, and the GardenView Cafe.

Originally constructed in 1988, the Bevill Center held the training headquarters of the Army Corps of Engineer, Division of Continuing Education, and hotel and restaurant facilities ran by the Marriott Corporation. The building hosted conferences and conventions. In 2020, the building was converted into a dormitory.

Bevill Center

Plans for the new building were unveiled in April of 1989, but funding for the project was limited. The design committee, architect Larry Hughes, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville president at the time, Dr. Louis Padulo, concluded that increasing tuition was the only way to fund the construction of the building.Dr. Padula proposed the tuition increase in April 1989. The tuition increase was criticized, but was ultimately approved by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, with an additional statement to address Padulo's position, reading in part:<blockquote>We support his presidency and his vision, and look forward to the benefits that UAH, Huntsville and the state of Alabama will experience under his leadership. We also pledge to do everything that we can do to help him succeed.[1]</blockquote>Groundbreaking for the new structure took place on the 11th of September in 1989. The building, with a total size of 70,000 square feet, was built to be three stories tall and contain "20 classrooms, nine laboratories, and a 400-seat auditorium that can be used for lectures, recitals, and similar activities."[2] The construction of the new building would relieve pressure on the existing classrooms spread out across various other campus buildings, so that there would be enough space for all students enrolled in business classes. That had been a serious issue for the College of Administrative Science before.The building, opened in 1990, was one of the first buildings to prohibit smoking in interior spaces. When it was opened, it housed classrooms, computer laboratories, and all of the administrative and faculty offices for the College of Administrative Science. Now referred to as Business Administration Building, it still houses the College of Business.

When first opened in 1990, the Business Administration Building was known as the Administrative Science Building. It served as a home for the The College of Administrative Science providing classrooms, computer laboratories, lecture space, an auditorium, and other academic spaces for the growing college.

Business Administration Building

Originally constructed at the height of space fever of the 1960s, the Von Braun Research Hall was originally known as the Research Institute. In 1961, John F. Kennedy pledged to reach the moon by the end of the decade, and in response, first director of Marshall Space Flight Center, Dr. Wernher von Braun, appealed to the state legislature for Alabama's need for more research complexes and educational centers. As a result, $3 million was raised from an Alabama bond issue, along with Madison County and Huntsville giving $400,000 for the construction of a new Institute and a portion of land to build it on adjacent to part of the Research Park. The first director of the institute was another prominent aerospace engineer, Dr. Rudolf Hermann.The University's commitment to offering aerospace degrees in Huntsville secured four contracts for the Research Institute for a total of $114,687 by April 20th, 1963 and the building was completed in 1964. The institute was also operated via funding secured by Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA. Some critics from NASA believed that "the University of Alabama will walk off with our money"[1] and some university critics claimed that NASA wanted to run the university. Despite this contention, the Research Institute succeeded in receiving NASA funding under the Sustaining University Program, one of ninety total institutions.Dr. Wernher von Braun was integral to the founding of the university, securing funding from both NASA and the State of Alabama for construction. The name of the building was changed in May 2000 to honor him. UAH staff, particularly Dr. Frank Franz, university president at the time, admired von Braun's work stating the following when the dedication was announced:<blockquote>Dr. von Braun drastically changed our perception of the universe and the world in which we live. The scientific accomplishments of Dr. von Braun in the 1950s and 1960s remain un-equaled today, and the world continues to reap rewards and benefits from his visions.[2]</blockquote>After the dedication, the Research Institute continued to fulfill its purpose except under a new name. To this day, the Von Braun Research Hall houses laboratories, offices, and other research space for students and faculty of the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Originally known as the Research Institute, this building was constructed for the University of Alabama in Huntsville's growing research activities, especially in aerospace and related disciplines. The establishment of a research program at UAH was a collaborative effort and included many prominent figures in Huntsville's burgeoning aerospace industry such as Dr. Wernher von Braun. The building was dedicated in his name in 2000. Today, the research hall holds offices, laboratories, and other research spaces, and carries on the research that began decades ago.

Von Braun Research Hall

In 1966, the Graduate Studies Building was completed, adding classrooms and a new larger space for the library (prior to the construction of the M. Salmon Library). Space in the building was reserved for "a faculty conference room, faculty offices, study areas, and a pair of galleries overlooking the lagoon."[1] The building assisted UAH's new MS degrees in mathematics, physics, and engineering, with many concentrations available.The Graduate Studies Building was one of the few locations unaffected by parking issues that plagued campus in 1968. A committee was appointed that year to address parking issues such as students parking in potentially dangerous areas. The committee considered adding parking in the drive of the Graduate Studies Building. It was also one location of the "free university"[2] organized by students in 1971, with the garden for the free gardening class being located behind the building.The Graduate Studies Building was first recorded as "Madison Hall" in the 1973-1974 catalogs, being described as containing "executive administrative offices, graduate classrooms, the Departments of Mathematics and Education, and the administrative offices and classrooms of the Division of Continuous Education." As Madison Hall, the building continued to meet various needs on the UAH campus. In 1973 the building also served as a polling place. but ultimately was removed by the SGA Election Board. Citing negligence, approximately 800 students were unable to vote in the location where they took classes. This resulted in the removal of an official from the Election Board and the consequential resignation of another, because so many students had a polling place taken away from them.

Madison Hall was built in 1966 as the Graduate Studies Building. The building was demolished in 2015 and a new Student Services Building now stands in that location.

Madison Hall

Architectural plans were ready in April in 1989 when Dr. Louis Padulo, then President of the University pf Alabama in Huntsville, spoke to the Chamber of Commerce to secure funds for construction of the Optics Building and other campus improvement projects. According to Padulo, the university had been given permission to solicit funds, but did not have sufficient financial backing. When speaking on the topic he put it rather simply, "We don't have the money."[1] His proposition was to raise tuition marginally to support the construction of multiple projects including the Administrative Science Building, the Material Science Building, and the Optics Building. Representative Tom Bevill of the 4th congressional district of Alabama helped UAH secure funding for the building. UAH received a $10,000,000 grant for the construction from the United States Department of Energy.The building was completed and opened in 1992 with spaces for the College of Engineering, College of Science and Center of Applied Optics. At the dedication ceremony, which hosted multiple UAH officials as well as Representative Bevill, a time capsule was buried near the building, to be opened in 2015.Today, the Optics building still houses UAH's optics research.

The Optics Building was constructed in the late 1980s and dedicated in 1992. Representative Tom Bevill of Alabama's 4th congressional district helped secure the funding for this research facility, focusing on optics research.

Optics Building

In 1988, Dr. Sean McManus who had championed the formal Material Science program at UAH, worked to move building plans forward. Alongside the Optics Building, and the Administrative Science Building, Dr. Louis Padulo, President of the University of Alabama in Huntsville at the time, was searching for funding for the new construction. He had Board permission to solicit funding and approached the Chamber of Commerce. Padulo put it rather succinctly when speaking on the topic, "We don't have the money." He proposed raising tuition marginally to support the construction of these various projects.The proposed increase in tuition received much criticism, but even after the increase, UAH was still reportedly one of the cheapest major universities in the Southeast. Despite the pushback and public opposition to Dr. Padulo's tuition increase that was widely reported in the school newspapers, the new tuition program was approved by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. However, former Vice President for Finance, Ken Thompson claimed that there was no need to raise tuition rates to fund the new construction, which led to continued disagreement about Padulo's actions.Whereas the Optics Building would eventually be funded by a government grant, the Administrative Science and Materials Science Buildings were not. Given this grant funding, students believed that it didn't make sense to increase tuition. Tension increased about the matter, up to the new construction. Despite the bumps in the road however, ground was broken on the new construction in February of 1990, targeting completion by April 1991. The opening was scheduled in 1991, but was ultimately delayed until the following year. The new construction offered a home for classes and research.Today it houses research laboratories and classrooms related to the materials science department at UAH, and is connected by a bridge to the adjacent Optics Building. Together with the Optics Building, it houses most of UAH's sciences programs that require specialized laboratories, as opposed to the natural sciences which reside at other locations.

Planned in the late 1980s and constructed in the early 1990s, the Materials Science Building was built alongside the Optics Building and the Administrative Science Building to service the growing UAH community. This building provided a home for specialized sciences and the specialized equipment used in those fields. The construction of the building was funded from an increase in tuition and the opening was initially delayed, but opened in 1992.

Materials Science Building

The UAH Disc Golf course was originally set up for Springfest 1980, after having been planned by the Frisbee club for the Springfest Frisbee Tournament upon their meeting in March of 1979. At that point, there was already an assumption that if it was successful, a permanent course could be established. During Springfest 1980, it was such a resounding success that people not only played on that Saturday but returned to play on Sunday. The Frisbee club then got to work setting up a permanent disc golf course around the Nursing School building, eventually becoming part of UAH's social and sporting environment. With the Frisbee club offering classes, they sought to grow the sport.Disc golf joined the other intramural sports on campus and players from UAH participated in competitions and even championships. It became such a renowned course that the campus hosted the World Championship Disc Golf Tournament in 1983, attracting competitors from all over the world for a $10,000 prize. UAH hosted the PDGA World Championship again in 1993. Even when construction began to expand the campus in the late 80s, they managed to reroute the disc golf course and work around the trees that were part of the scenery in 1989. What began as a spring event sponsored by the Frisbee club grew into a sport that has become an essential part of the culture of UAH.The course moved to its current location in 2005 and today there are 18 holes scattered around a large part of the open space on the south side of campus. Amidst the course, there are decorative holes, including one shaped to look like a rocket to represent UAH and Huntsville's connection with the space program, and one shaped like a bell (hole 17). The course is still a central part of UAH's history and culture and remains actively used.

The 18 hole disc golf course on the University of Alabama in Huntsville campus was proposed by the Frisbee Club in 1979. The Club set up a disc golf course for Springfest 1980, and it was so well received that they established a permanent course.

UAH Disc Golf Course

WLRH as a radio station, now located on the University of Alabama in Huntsville campus, was founded as the first public radio station in the area and one of the few in the nation licensed to a library. Specifically, the Huntsville-Madison County Library conceived the idea in 1972 when they recognized the area needed some public broadcast system. They quickly brought their idea to fruition using $400,000 worth of investment from "the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), State Revenue sharing, and public donations."[1] The financing of the radio station after the initial investment would be mostly covered by a citizens' group interested in supporting the public radio. Once set up in the Old Times Building in downtown Huntsville, the first broadcast of "Library Radio of Huntsville," to match their LRH call code, was aired at 2:15 PM CDT on October 13th, 1976.Over a decade later in 1987, they began moving onto the UAH campus, a new building being constructed for their use, partially to save money, decreasing their rent from $2000 to $1700, and partially to get out of the quickly aging downtown building they used prior. Before coming to UAH, they had also been offered a location on the A&amp;M campus. Instead, they set up a 3,000 square foot building on the south side of the UAH campus, where they reside today.The new building was finished in January 1988, and they began broadcasting from UAH immediately upon moving in. Following the dedication ceremony, there were no major changes made to the radio station, despite it's new location, but minor changes were made to the programming including incorporating student volunteers and broadcasting performances on campus. Throughout their time on the UAH campus, they have become a central part of the local community. Although there is officially no formal relation with the school, their location on the UAH campus solidifies them as part of the community, introducing young individuals to public radio.

WLRH, with a call sign originally meaning "Library Radio of Huntsville" is a public radio station broadcasting from Huntsville, Alabama. It was originally funded by and treated as part of the public library when it was instituted in 1972 and positioned in the old Times Building in downtown Huntsville. Although there is no formal relationship between WLRH and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the radio station is located on the UAH campus and has been since 1988. It was moved from its original location in downtown Huntsville, due to financial and building issues.

WLRH Radio Station

The Shelby Center for Science and Technology was constructed in 2007, and during construction it was simply known as "the Applied Sciences Building."[1] However, the board at the University of Alabama in Huntsville proposed a new name for the building in June of 2007, calling it the Richard C. and Annette N. Shelby Science and Technology Center, in honor of Sen. Richard Shelby and his wife. This ended up being its permanent name, as it was dedicated on the 14th of October.Senator Shelby and his wife were chosen because in Senator Richard Shelby's long-term representation of Alabama in the United States Senate, he supported the state of Alabama, Huntsville, and UAH's progress in science and technology. He has notably supported the expansion and professional development of UAH throughout his time as senator. Therefore, representatives on the board sought to honor Senator Shelby and his wife.The College of Science took quickly to the new building, making it home to the college the year it opened, and with the mathematics, biology, physics, and chemistry departments all moving into the center, some classes immediately, as per Dr. John Fix, dean of the College of Science at the Time:<blockquote>Starting next semester, essentially all biology, math, introductory physics and chemistry classes will be taught in the Shelby Center. We may move a few classes to the Shelby Center later this semester.[2]</blockquote>In the construction of the Shelby Center, UAH not only wanted to provide a dedicated room for the College of Science, but also wanted to create an environment that was better for students to learn in. Dr. Fix stated in regards to the environment:<blockquote>The Shelby Center has new classrooms, auditoriums, teaching labs, research labs and offices. On the first floor there is a very, very large student study area with soft seating looking out over the rear courtyard.[3]</blockquote>The construction allowed for better teaching of some subjects, such as state of the art physics laboratories. The lecture and lab classes could in some cases be merged into a single class now. This allowed for students to immediately experiment with and observe what they were being taught. This kind of development supported UAH's position as a leading research university for science and engineering.Tragically, the building was the site of a shooting in 2010. UAH biology professor, Amy Bishop, who had been denied tenure, shot and killed three of her colleagues, injuring three others, at a biological sciences department meeting. Those killed were Gopi Podilla, chairman of the department, Maria Ragland Davis, associate professor, and Adriel D. Johnson Sr., associate professor. Those injured were Luis Rogelio Cruz-Vera, Joseph G. Leahy, professors, and Stephanie Monticciolo, staff assistant. A memorial in the biological sciences office and a garden in the greenway were put up in their honor in 2020 for the five year anniversary. Bishop is imprisoned in Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka, Alabama.The Shelby Center was considered a groundbreaking new structure on the UAH campus, allowing science classes and departments to operate in an environment suited to their needs. It allowed the College of Science to introduce new programs and departments, and even introduce entirely new classes within departments. To this day, it still holds most of the science departments and its classrooms host many science courses. Within the structure are labs, classrooms, and faculty and staff offices to support the College of Science.

Originally constructed in 2007, the Shelby Center for Science and Technology was named for Senator Richard Shelby and his wife shortly after opening. Senator Richard Shelby continues to represent Alabama and advocates for the advancement of research and funding at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The dedication took place in October of 2007. That year, the building opened for classes in various science departments including mathematics, biology, physics, and chemistry. To this day, it is still home to those scientific departments, providing all the resources, classrooms, and faculty and staff offices that those programs require.

Shelby Center

Robert "Bud" Cramer is a former Congressman from the state of Alabama. Belonging to the Democratic party, he represented Alabama's 5th District from 1991 to 2009. In this position, he dedicated the NS Science and Technology Center at the site of the "Computer Science Building", which would eventually be part of the Research Hall. For this reason, the research hall was dedicated in his name in 2004. The building was described as containing "offices for Atmospheric Science, research laboratories, meeting rooms, and the Global Hydrology Resource Center computer laboratory to support the extensive ongoing research between NASA, UAH, and the Universities Space Research Association."[1]

Robert "Bud" Cramer Research Hall

Olin B. King Technology Hall is located on the west side of Sparkman Drive and currently holds offices related to the College of Engineering as well as the Computer Science department. It is first mentioned in the 1998-1999 course catalogs as a building that "contains offices, classrooms, specially equipped distance learning classrooms, a 119 fixed seating seminar room, computer classrooms and laboratories, and instructional and research laboratories for several of the departments in the College of Engineering as well as the Computer Science Department"[1] in addition to housing "the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR), the Propulsion Research Center, and the Information Technology &amp; Systems Laboratory"[1], having been acquired in 1998 according to the 1998-1999 factbook.

Olin B. King Technology Hall

Opened officially on April 16th, 2004, the Shelbie King Hall was dedicated to Shelbie King, the wife of UAH trustee and long-time supporter, Olin B. King. The King family gifted half the value of the building to the university for the sake of supporting future development on the campus. The dedication of the hall garnered praise for Shelbie King and for UAH by not only the university community, but the larger state community as well. Malcolm Portera, then Chancellor of the University of Alabama system remarked:<blockquote>The key to improving quality of life and the economy in this region is to link universities with the community. There is no better example of this than UAH and Huntsville...There are people who are vital to this, and there are no better examples of such citizens than Olin and Shelbie King.[1]</blockquote>Shelbie King herself expressed that the donation of the building, which had been constructed in the 60s, contemporary to Olin B. King Technology Hall, was to help the community grow and serve the university. Once the building was dedicated, its dedication plaque read:<blockquote>Shelbie King, an alumnus, advocate, and supporter of The University of Alabama in Huntsville, has played a leadership role in enriching quality of life in the Huntsville community through her philanthropy and work on the boards of historic, arts and music organizations. In recognition of Shelbie King's dedication to UAH, and her outstanding contributions to our community, this building is hereby dedicated as Shelbie King Hall.[2]</blockquote>The building was used to hold administrative services that had previously been housed in Madison Hall and the University Center. To this day, it is still an administrative building on the UAH campus.

Shelbie King Hall was dedicated in 2004 to Shelbie King, wife of Olin B. King and a notable supporter of The University of Alabama in Huntsville and the larger Huntsville community. Its namesake, Shelbie King and her husband worked hard to support UAH for many years, helping to secure funding as well as acting as trustees themselves. Their dedication to UAH's advancement in the community resulted in the donation of buildings to the campus including Olin B. King Tech Hall, and of course, Shelbie King Hall. The building serves as an administrative building on the UAH campus, housing multiple administrative departments.

University of Alabama in Huntsville Campus History Walking Tour

Engineering Building

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information