This year the Museum of
Geology at South Dakota Mines celebrates
its 100th anniversary of being open to the public. A celebration is scheduled
from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, 2023. The event is free and open to the
public.
The event will take place on the exhibit floor of
the Museum of Geology as well as the main atrium of the Paleontology Research
Laboratory (PRL) and outside between these two buildings, weather permitting.
The celebration includes hourly behind-the-scenes
tours of the PRL; a booth for rock and fossil identification; educational
activities and booths from local partners including Badlands National Park, the
Journey Museum, Rushmore Cave and more; an appearance by Mines mascot Grubby
along with possible appearances by other mascots; and special events throughout
the day including a visit from the Raptor Center, a pterodactyl tournament and
dinosaur rodeo featuring Grubby.
“When people think of the South Dakota Mines, they
may not think of the Museum of Geology right away. However, we've been there
since the start, and several of our past presidents were geologists and
paleontologists by training,” says Kayleigh Johnson, assistant director of the
Museum of Geology.
The Museum of Geology was founded alongside Mines in
1885 with a donation of over 5,000 fossil and mineral specimens from Professor
Gilbert Bailey, Johnson says. At that time, these specimens were used for
research and education by student and faculty alike, but were not available to
the general public.
Johnson explains that, in 1899, Professor Cleophas
O’Harra began expeditions into the White River Badlands to explore the geology
and paleontology of the area. O’Harra later became Mines president and helped
create some of the most notable traditions and structures, including M Day, the
freshman beanie, M Hill and the football field. O’Harra also published a book
on the White River Badlands in 1920.
With the help of Professor Guy March, the Museum of
Geology opened to the public in 1923, serving as a way to bridge community
service and education, Johnson says. When O’Harra passed away in 1935,
Professor Joseph Connolly became the next president of Mines. Johnson says not
only did he begin the master’s programs at Mines, but he also took more
students into the White River Badlands with funding from the National
Geographic Society. Connolly also oversaw the construction of the O’Harra
building, where the museum exhibit floor is currently housed.
Since then, the Museum of Geology has drawn visitors
from far and wide to the Mines campus and continues to be a space of learning
and research for all students, faculty and visitors.
“There are so many people who have been involved in
the great history of the Museum of Geology that it’s impossible to name them
all,” Johnson says. “We want to express our gratitude for those important
figures, past and present, including Mines, our students, staff, volunteers,
faculty, donors and our community.”