Historical, Etc.

The School of Mines and Metallurgy—a department of the University of the State of Missouri—is located at Rolla, Phelps county, on the line of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, one hundred and thirteen miles southwesterly from St. Louis. The locality is pre-eminently healthful, is in the midst of an extensive and rapidly developing iron section, with districts abounding in lead and zinc deposits, within easy access, and thus affords excellent opportunities for the field study of some of the modes of occurrence of the ores of these metals, as well as for the practical investigation of their methods of treatment. Excursions for such purposes will constitute a prominent feature in the instruction of the advanced classes.

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The institution was created by the legislative act of February, 1870, disposing of the Congressional grant of land for agricultural and mechanical colleges. It was formally opened November 23, 1871. The first class, of three members, graduated in June, 1874, having completed the full course. The twelfth year of the Institution closes with this announcement and catalogue.

The design of the School of Mines and Metallurgy, in connection with the Agricultural College, is to carry out, to its amplest extent, the intention of the act of Congress, providing for education in the Industrial arts. This has been kept prominently in view in arranging the curriculum of the school, in the selection of its apparatus, in providing its equipment and in the organization of its Faculty. It is a school of Technology, with Civil and Mine Engineering and Metallurgy, as specialties.

The school is furnished with apparatus, instruments, and other appliances for practical instruction and demonstration. It has a supply of excellent surveying, engineering and drawing instruments, physical apparatus, embodying the newest forms for illustration and research, together with diagrams and models for the illustration of metallurgic processes and engineering constructions. The laboratories for analyses and assaying have been increased in working capacity, and are amply furnished with apparatus and reagents necessary for practical instruction, and for any line of chemical and metallurgical research. The library has been selected with special reference to supplementing the labors of the class and lecture rooms, and consists, therefore, largely of standard reference works on the physical sciences, mathematics and technology.

The class and other rooms of the building are comfortably furnished, well lighted and well ventilated. The first floor is occupied by the analytical laboratory, the chemical lecture room, and the room of the professor of geology. On the second floor are the public hall, library, engineering rooms; and in the third story are the rooms of the professor of mathematics, and rooms with ample accommodations for the Preparatory Department. The basement contains the assay furnaces and other appliances for metallurgical work. The laboratory is supplied with gas for the heat required in chemical analysis.