The School of Mines was established by the Board of Regents in 1888, officially opening in 1892 under the leadership of Professor William R. Appleby. Originally, the school was under the auspices of the College of Engineering, Metallurgy and the Mechanical Arts, but in 1897, the School of the Mines became an independent college, with Professor Appleby as dean. In 1911, the School of Mines Experiment Station was established. The school changed its name to the School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1926. Upon the retirement of Dean Appleby in 1935, the Board of Regents decided to merge the three technical schools under one administrative head, leading to the creation of the Institute of Technology. The school was originally established to offer courses and training to students in the field of mining and production of iron ore, which was being mined in Northeastern Minnesota, but course work expanded over the years and by 1927 degrees were offered in Mining Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Geological Engineering and Petroleum Engineering. In 1970, the School of Mines and Metallurgy was closed with its programs being transferred to the newly redesigned departments of chemical engineering and materials science.
From the guide to the School of Mines and Metallurgy papers, 1891-1946, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])
