Fort Hays State University - Reveille Yearbook (Hays, KS)

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ternberg museu A THOROUGH HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF AREA Though Sternberg Museum is known primarily for its Hall of Paleontology, the museum pro- vides a thorough historical background of this area. It was C W. Miller, a local real estate dealer, who gave the museum its modest beginning. Not long after the Normal School (now Fort Hays State) was established in 1902, Miller donated a part of his mounted bird collection for exhibits in the school ' s offices and departments. Eventually, the Miller collection was put on display in the Picken Hail library. By 1926, the library was so crowded with local citizens ' dona- tions of rare rocks, stuffed skins and historical novelties that the school ' s president, W, A. Lewis, was prompted to designate an area of Forsyth Library (now McCART- NEY Hail) for the museum. Lewis also appointed Miller as the Museum ' s curator. President Lewis ' concern for the improvement of the museum led him to urge George R Sternberg, an independent field vertebrate paleontologist, to move his head- quarters to Hays. Sternberg was named Curator of Geology and Paleontology. Primarily through his findings, a nationally ac- claimed exhibit of plant and animal fossils became an impor- tant addition to the museum. Sternberg Museum also con- tains an exhibit of native rocks and minerals. Of special interest, is the collection of fluorescent minerals as well as the meteorite collection. The history of the first Americans is chronicled in the Hall of Archaeology and Ethnology. American Indian ar- tifacts, including various tools and weaponry, are on display with ar- chaeological findings from Korea, Japan, China and the Philippines. The Hall of History and the Hall of Pioneers tell of the first Kansans ' struggle to tame the open prairie. On display are many of the tools they used in settling the virgin country; the horse- drawn plows, scythes and rifles that stood by them. In the Hall of Natural History, stands a multitude of animal specimens, artificially preserved through taxidermy, which represents a major portion of native wildlife. The giant buffalo, which once roamed the plains in herds of thousands, now stands in a life-like pose next to many other prairie dwellers. A monstrous Kodiak bear, native to Alaska, towers over all other land mam- mals, including Man. The most recent acquisition in 1983 by the museum staff is the Ross Beach collection of African big game animals. — Clay Manes Of MAS Towering over the other mammal ex- hibits in the Hall of Natural History, this Polar Bear was captured by M. W. Kramer, 100 miles northeast of Point Bar- row, Alaska. Found on the Andrew Bird Ranch, located southeast of Quinter, the fish in a fish was discovered by Walter Sorenson. In- side the 14-foot Xiphactinus Audax fish is a 6-foot Gillicus arcuatus. A collection of dishes from the Hadley Estate attracts the attention of a museum visitor. The antique dishes were donated by Hadley Memorial Hospital on March 27, 1952. museum

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Basketball fans were given the opportunity to sample Big Cheese Pizza prior to the men ' s game against Benedictine Big Cheese continued its support throughout the season by offering 50% off pizza if the team kept its opponent from scoring more than 60 points. IW campus life divisio 9

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This prong horned antelope of America is the sole representative of its family. Unlike any other kind in the world, the antelope sheds the outer covering of his horns. Museum visitors of ail ages take a keen interest in the extensive bird collection. C. W, Miller was primarily responsible for the collection which began as a hobby in 1876. Primitive tribes living in the jungles of eastern Ecuador may still practice the ceremonial shrinking of human heads. Herbs, hot sand and stones are used in this elaborate ritual to reduce the size of their enemies ' heads. Sternberg museu Chris Ochsne r Mon I y Dj v is