A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum facts for kids
Thomas D Shaffner Hall, home to the museum as of 2011
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| Established | 1902 |
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| Location | Houghton, Michigan |
| Type | Museum |
| Owner | Michigan Technological University |
The A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum is the official mineral museum for the state of Michigan. It is located on the campus of Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. This museum is also part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park.
The museum is named after Professor Arthur Edmund Seaman. He worked at Michigan Tech in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was the museum's curator from 1928 to 1937.
The museum's collection of minerals started in the 1800s. By 1890, it had 27,000 different rock and mineral samples. Today, the museum holds over 36,000 specimens from all over the world. Many of these amazing samples come from Michigan, especially the Lake Superior area. Outside the museum, you can see the Copper Pavilion. It holds a huge copper boulder that weighs 19 tons! This boulder is a Guinness World Record holder for the largest copper boulder. It was found at the bottom of Lake Superior.
Museum History
The A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum first opened its doors in 1902. It was set up in a room called the Qualitative Laboratory inside Hubbell Hall at Michigan Tech.
In 1908, a new building was built just for the museum. This building later became the university's Administration Building. The museum took up the entire second floor. Later, in 1931, the museum moved again to Hotchkiss Hall. In 1932, it was officially named the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum.
On June 17, 1976, the museum moved to the fifth floor of the Electrical Energy Resource Center at Michigan Tech. This new building was built where Hotchkiss Hall used to be. In 1990, the Michigan Legislature officially named the museum the "official Mineralogical Museum of Michigan." This made it very special!
In 2005, Michigan Tech bought some old buildings at the Quincy Mine site. The idea was to move the museum there. They even fixed the roof of one building. But then, the university decided to build a brand new museum instead. So, they sold the old buildings back to the Quincy Mine Hoist Association.
Finally, in 2011, the museum moved into its current home, the Thomas D Shaffner Hall. This new building is across from the Advanced Technology Development Complex. It was named after Thomas Shaffner, a Michigan Tech graduate. He gave $1 million to help build the new museum.
Since 2015, the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum also helps take care of the University of Michigan's mineral collection. They even co-own it as part of the Michigan Mineral Alliance.
Museum Curators
A curator is like a manager for a museum's collection. They are in charge of taking care of the minerals and making sure they are displayed well. Here are the people who have been curators of the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum:
- Arthur Edmund Seaman (1928–1937)
- Kiril Spiroff (1938–1943, 1964–1975)
- Wyllys Seaman (1943–1948)
- Jean Peterman Kemp (1975–1986)
- Stanley J Dyl II (1986–1996)
- George Willard Robinson (1996–2013)
- John A. Jaszczak (interim 2013)
- Christopher J. Stefano (2013–2019)
- Theodore J. Bornhorst (interim 2019–2020)
- John A. Jaszczak (2020–present)
Images for kids
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The Quincy Mine machine shop in 2018. The museum almost moved here.
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A portrait of Douglass Houghton inside the museum.
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A silver-copper mineral from the Wolverine Mine, once part of the museum's collection.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Mineral de A. E. Seaman para niños
