A. D. Buck Museum of Science and History facts for kids
| Established | 1913 |
|---|---|
| Type | 1220 E. Grand Tonkawa, Oklahoma |
| Founder | C. E. Johnson |
The A. D. Buck Museum of Science and History is an interesting museum located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. You can find it right on the campus of Northern Oklahoma College (NOC). It's a great place to explore both science and history!
Contents
History of the Museum
The A. D. Buck Museum is one of the oldest museums connected to a college in Oklahoma. It was first opened in 1913.
How the Museum Started
The museum was founded by C. E. Johnson. He was a biology teacher at Northern Oklahoma College. Mr. Johnson taught a class where students learned taxidermy. This is the art of preparing animal skins to make them look alive. Many of the early items in the museum came from this class.
Changes Over Time
The museum was first called the Yellow Bull Museum. It was named after a chief from the Nez Perce people. In 1966, the museum was renamed to honor A. D. Buck. He was the director for a long time, from the 1930s until 1966.
The museum has moved a few times. It was first in Wilkin Hall, but that building burned down in 1914. Then it moved to North Hall (also called Harold Hall) until 1968. After that, the museum finally got its very own building.
Museum Directors
Throughout its history, the museum has had only four directors:
- C. E. Johnson
- A. D. Buck
- Leo Rodriguez
- Rex Ackerson
What You Can See at the Museum
The A. D. Buck Museum has many cool exhibits that show different parts of history and science.
History Exhibits
You can learn about several important historical topics, including:
- The history of Northern Oklahoma College itself.
- The E.W. Marland's Three Sands Oil Field, which was a big oil discovery.
- The Tonkawa World War II Prisoner of War Camp. This was a place where prisoners from World War II were held.
- The Big V Ranch, which belonged to William H. Vanselous.
Science Exhibits
For science fans, the museum has:
- Mounted specimens of different birds and mammals. These are animals that have been preserved to look like they are still alive.
- The Herbert Walther Mineral/Fossil Collection. This amazing collection of rocks and fossils is kept in the Crowder Science Hall nearby.
Recent Updates
The museum closed in 2010 for some big renovations. It reopened to show its artifacts and items organized by decade. This means you can see how things changed over the years. A new Welcome Center was also added. This center is for students, employees, teachers, and anyone else who visits the college or museum.
The museum is open, but you need to make an appointment to visit.
