As Missouri S&T prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2020, a commemorative, coffee table-style history book about the university is now available for pre-order.

Forged in Gold: Missouri S&T’s First 150 Years was written by Dr. Larry Gragg, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor emeritus of history and political science at Missouri S&T. The book is now available for pre-order from the S&T Store website (forged.thesandtstore.com) at the sale price of $39.99, a $10 savings over the regular price.

Anyone who submits a pre-order by May 15 will also receive a free commemorative gift pack about Missouri S&T’s 150th anniversary and will be signed up to receive updates on future events related to the university’s sesquicentennial (150-year) celebration.

Forged in Gold tells the tale of Missouri S&T’s 150-year history, from its “country academy” origins in the 1870s to its position today as “one of the nation’s top technological research universities,” as Gragg writes.

The book weaves iconic campus events and historical photos into a deeper appreciation for the way the campus has shaped the world, from the post-Civil War Industrial Age to the space race and beyond. Drawing on historical documents, archived publications including local newspapers and university yearbooks, previous histories of the university, and dozens of interviews with alumni, students, faculty, staff and others, Gragg explores the backstories and history of Missouri S&T that portrays this land-grant institution in a new light.

Chartered in 1870

Missouri S&T was chartered in 1870 as the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy. Known more commonly as the Missouri School of Mines or MSM, it was one of the nation’s first technological schools and the first mining school west of the Mississippi River. The first classes at MSM were held Nov. 6, 1871, in the Rolla Building, which still stands today as the oldest structure on campus.

With the creation of the University of Missouri System in the early 1960s, MSM was renamed the University of Missouri-Rolla, or UMR. In 2008, the name was changed to Missouri S&T to better reflect the institution’s standing as a technological research university.

Missouri S&T is planning several public events to commemorate its sesquicentennial, beginning with “S&T Day at the Capitol” in Jefferson City in February 2020 to mark the 150th anniversary of Missouri Gov. Joseph W. McClurg’s signing of the legislation that called for a “school of mines” to be created in southern Missouri. Missouri S&T will kick off a 13-month celebration of its founding during next fall’s Homecoming Weekend (Oct. 16-17). During the weekend celebrations, Gragg will discuss the contents of the new book, answer questions and sign copies of Forged in Gold, which will be available for purchase or pickup at the event.

Sesquicentennial events will continue through November 2021, which will mark the 150th anniversary of the first day of classes at S&T.

For more information about the university’s 150th anniversary, visit 150.mst.edu.