Science Hall is associated with Charles R. Van Hise (1857-1918), who was the first geologist in the Nation to apply microscopic lithology to the extensive study of crystalline rocks, and to use those results in the formulation of geological principles. Van Hise's emphasis on the quantitative application of physical and chemical laws to geological problems was one of his greatest contributions to the science of geology. His influential 1904 monograph, A Treatise on Metamorphism, moved geology out of the science of classification and into formulating principles. As a teacher, Van Hise earned a reputation for training geologists who matched his own high standards in scientific research.

Image: Wisconsin Historical Society

Information provided by the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service.