The Museum Building
The Library and Museum building was the ninth building to be erected on the Montana Tech campus. Funding for the building came in 1939 through a bond issue. This building was designed by Butte architect Walter A. Arnold with an Art Deco design. The building is 3 ½ stories tall and originally served as the mineral museum and library. A stage, located at the northwest end of the third floor was a stage used for lectures, convocations, commencement exercises, and dramatic productions. The president’s office and registrar were also located in this building.
The building overlooks Leonard Field and Summit Valley. The building’s exterior is adorned with three cream terra-cotta arches and tapestry brick. Three pairs of brass doors, at the main entrance, were a gift from the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Above each doorway is a shield bearing mining-related symbols. The interior walls are faced with Gardiner travertine quarried in south-central Montana.
The mineral museum was originally located on the first floor of the building, but now it has been moved to the third floor. Two noteworthy mineral exhibits are the Charles H. Gallagher Mineral Collection, given to the museum by Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Gallagher of Butte, and the William A. Clark III collection. Together these collections contain over 3,000 specimens. The building is still used for the mineral museum in addition to the Mathematics Department, Computer Science Department, Research and Alumni Affairs, Public Relations, and the Mine Waste Technology Program. This building also has access to the tunnels.
