Misouri S&T: Improving Masonry Education
WORDS: MEGAN RAJNER PHOTOS: MISSOURI S&T
A REPUTATION IN ROLLA
At some point in our lives, we’ve probably
occupied space inside a brick or masonry
building, or walked along the footpath of a stone
bridge, or stepped foot on some form of concrete
such as… a sidewalk maybe? It is inevitable
for humans in the twenty-first century to not be
exposed to masonry construction, which in turn
inevitably continues to advance its methods and
technologies. It is for this reason that we, the
daily or even hourly users of this built
environment, need to understand the implications
of making sure the individuals working in this field
are educated to the highest degree possible. We
now know that Missouri University of Science and
Technology has this job covered.
Located in the heart of Rolla, Missouri University
of Science and Technology has been named 3rd
Best Engineering College in USA Today. The
institution and its students thrive on science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics, or
STEM, a term coined for the development of
these academic subjects. In 2008, the name of
the school was formally changed to reflect these
academic interests. But how exactly did Missouri
S&T reach the level of success and scholarly
reputation it now has?
20 | Masonry Design
The school was founded in 1870, making it the
oldest technological university west of the
Mississippi River. Its establishment was made
possible as a land-grant institution under the
Morrill Act, which was enacted in 1862 with the
purpose of donating public lands to several states
and territories to colleges for the benefit of
agriculture and mechanic arts. It was first known
as the Missouri School of Minds and Metallurgy
(MSM), and two of the first three graduates were
civil engineers and were employed in that field.
Over the years, the school’s graduates have
populated many nearby engineering design firms.
In 1964, nearly 100 years after its establishment,
the name of the school changed from the Missouri
School of Minds and Metallurgy to the
University of Missouri Rolla (UMR), making it a
part of the University of Missouri system along
with the University of Missouri Columbia and the
University Missouri Kansas City, MO. The year
of 2008 is when the name was finally changed to
the University of Missouri of Science and
Technology for being the major engineering hub
in the system.
Missouri S&T has been successfully known for its
engineering programs, including a civil