Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. . , In 1899 the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature created a natural history museum to preserve Oklahoma’s rich heritage. More than 100 years later, the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History was built to protect the museum’s priceless collections. Museum Director Michael A. Mares and University President David L. Boren presided over the groundbreaking in 1996 and the museum’s dedication in 2000, when the 195,000 square-foot facility became one of the largest university-based natural history museums in the world., Professor Albert Heald Van Vleet, a member of the original university faculty developed the first collections of natural history which were lost when the first administration building burned in 1903. The collections expanded greatly in the 1930’s under the direction of Dr. J. Willis Stovall, a vertebrate paleontologist who collected some of the most significant dinosaur fossils ever found. Stovall served as director of the museum from 1943 until his death in 1953., The museum is now home to more than six million artifacts and specimens, including the largest Apatosaurus and Pentaceratops in the world, as well as priceless Native American materials, such as the “Cooper Skull,” the oldest painted object ever found in North America., The building is named after Samuel Russell Noble in honor of his service to the University as a benefactor and member of the OU Board of Regents from 1987 to 1991. A philanthropist who was dedicated to the enrichment of Oklahoma and its people, Noble served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Inc., which was established by Noble’s father Lloyd in 1945. A large donation from the Noble Foundation and the friends, family and business associates of Sam Noble helped turn the dream of a new museum into a reality. The Friends of the Museum developed strong support for a bond election for a new building. The City of Norman voted overwhelmingly to fund the project in 1991., Dr. Mares, a prominent field biologist and national leader in the museum community, worked as director for 17 years to protect the collections, expand the museum’s visibility, increase its staff and budget, and garner public support for a new building. The museum features five major exhibit halls. The Siegfried Family Hall of Ancient Life displays prehistoric life in Oklahoma from the earliest life forms to the Age of Mammals., The McCasland Foundation Hall of the People of Oklahoma features 28,000 years of human history in Oklahoma, with examples of early Native American dwellings, tools, and artwork and pays tribute to the state’s native people. The Noble Drilling Corporation Hall of Natural Wonders showcases the diverse and beautiful landscapes of Oklahoma including the state’s rich flora and fauna. The Merkel Family Foundation Gallery of World Cultures uses artifacts from the more than 125 nations represented in the collections to display treasures from throughout the world. The Fred and Enid Brown Native American Arts and Special Exhibitions Gallery highlights the museum’s collections that reflect the diversity and beauty of the art of America’s native people and provides a venue for traveling exhibits. The Richard and Josephine Andree Discovery Room makes exhibits come alive for adults and children with hands-on activities that stimulate the senses as well as the mind., The museum is situated on 60 acres of native plants that showcase the many lovely habitats of this rich land called Oklahoma.