David R. Francis Quadrangle is the historical center of the
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...
in
Columbia, Missouri. Known as The Quad it is the oldest part of
Red Campus Red Campus is the historical core of the University of Missouri campus in Columbia primarily gathered around the David R. Francis Quadrangle. The area takes its name from the red bricks that make up most of the buildings including Jesse Hall and ...
and adjacent to
Downtown Columbia at the south end of the
Avenue of the Columns. At its center are
six Ionic columns, all that remains of the original university building
Academic Hall
Academic Hall was the original main building of the University of Missouri. It was dedicated in 1843 and destroyed by fire in 1892. Academic Hall's six Ionic columns, today known as The Columns, stand on Francis Quadrangle as the most recogniz ...
. Twelve buildings front the modern quadrangle including the domed main administration building
Jesse Hall
Jesse Hall is the main administration building for the University of Missouri. Its dome has towered 180 feet above the south end of David R. Francis Quadrangle since its completion in 1895. In the lawn in front of Jesse Hall are The Columns, all ...
, the tallest building in Columbia. The Quad was designed and constructed by architect
Morris Frederick Bell
Morris Frederick Bell (August 8, 1849 – August 2, 1929) was an American architect known primarily for his institutional buildings but also for his domestic and commercial structures. His best known work is the David R. Francis Quadrangle t ...
and his assistant
William Lincoln Garver
William Lincoln Garver was an American architect, civil engineer, author, socialist leader, and political candidate from Missouri. He was primarily an architect by trade, and learned while working under his uncle, architect Morris Frederick Bell ...
. It is named after
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
governor
David R. Francis
David Rowland Francis (October 1, 1850January 15, 1927) was an American politician and diplomat. He served in various positions including Mayor of St. Louis, the 27th Governor of Missouri, and United States Secretary of the Interior. He was the ...
. Eighteen structures, including the entire quad and most of Red Campus are listed as the Francis Quadrangle
National Historic District. An obelisk, the original tombstone of
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
stands in front of the Chancellor's Residence. It was gifted to the University by Jefferson's descendants in recognition of Missouri's ties to Virginia. In front of Jesse Hall stand markers honoring university president
Richard Henry Jesse Richard Henry Jesse (May 1, 1853 – January 21, 1921) was an American educator and the eighth president of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He was born in Lancaster County, Virginia 1853 and attended the University of Virgin ...
and
Missouri governor
The governor of Missouri is the head of government of the U.S. state of Missouri and the commander-in-chief of the Missouri National Guard. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by t ...
David R. Francis
David Rowland Francis (October 1, 1850January 15, 1927) was an American politician and diplomat. He served in various positions including Mayor of St. Louis, the 27th Governor of Missouri, and United States Secretary of the Interior. He was the ...
. Nearby is another obelisk in memory of Missouri's first U.S. senator
David Barton, The
Missouri School of Journalism is located at the northeast corner of The Quad, comprising Walter Williams Hall, Neff Hall, Gannet Hall, along with the Reynolds Journalism Institute. To the west,
Switzler Hall is the oldest academic building on campus, though the Residence on the Quad, home of the chancellor, is the oldest building overall. The
University of Missouri College of Engineering completes the west side. Pickard Hall is currently closed due to radiation contamination from turn of the century experiments. Swallow Hall was recently renovated and houses the Departments of Anthropology, Visual Studies and Ancient Mediterranean Studies.
History
At the genesis of the University of Missouri the only building among a great forest campus was
Academic Hall
Academic Hall was the original main building of the University of Missouri. It was dedicated in 1843 and destroyed by fire in 1892. Academic Hall's six Ionic columns, today known as The Columns, stand on Francis Quadrangle as the most recogniz ...
. Constructed by architect
Stephen Hills from 1840 to 1843 out of Red Brick and limestone quarried from the bluff of
Hinkson Creek
Hinkson Creek is a stream in Boone County in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its middle section runs through the city of Columbia, Missouri It was named after Robert Hinkson, a pioneer citizen who lived along its banks. Several trails, conservation ar ...
, this was the only academic building of the university for many years. In 1843 a mansion was built next door for the President of the University of Missouri. During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, Union troops occupied Academic Hall and burned the ancient forest and parts of the library for firewood. Academic Hall was damaged and the president mansion was burned in 1865. After the war, the University sued the federal government for damages, eventually winning and building the Memorial Gateway on the Avenue of the Columns with the money. A new President's Mansion was built in 1867 and still stands today. The need for expansion after the war necessitated the construction of Scientific Hall, now Switzler Hall in 1872.
The burning of Academic Hall on a cold January night in 1892 ushered in a time of great change for the University. There was much support in the
Missouri Legislature
The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are ...
to move the University to
Sedalia. The
Governor of Missouri
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
, David R. Francis, sent a telegram to the students of the University assuring them that he would fight to keep the campus in Columbia. He later traveled to Columbia to address the citizens, faculty, and students. After calling for a special session of the Missouri Legislature he was able to appropriate $250,000 for the rebuilding. The University of Missouri was rebuilt in a quad around the columns, with "New Academic Hall" later renamed Jesse Hall on the south, and the
Avenue of the Columns on the North.
On October 23, 2010 the quad was featured as the location of an ESPN's
College GameDay. An ESPN record of over 18,000 fans showed up.
Buildings
Geology Building
The Geology Building is the newest stand-alone building on The Quad.
Hill Hall
Hill Hall was built in 1950 and named after former President of The University
Albert Ross Hill
Albert Ross Hill (October 4, 1868 – May 6, 1943) was a Canadian-born American educator and ninth president of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He was also Commissioner of the European Division of the American Red Cross (192 ...
.
Jesse Hall
Jesse Hall was constructed in 1892 as the "New Academic Hall". It was later renamed after MU president
Richard Henry Jesse Richard Henry Jesse (May 1, 1853 – January 21, 1921) was an American educator and the eighth president of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He was born in Lancaster County, Virginia 1853 and attended the University of Virgin ...
. The dome rises nine stories above the quad, and is one of the most recognized symbols of MU. It was designed by architect
Morris Frederick Bell
Morris Frederick Bell (August 8, 1849 – August 2, 1929) was an American architect known primarily for his institutional buildings but also for his domestic and commercial structures. His best known work is the David R. Francis Quadrangle t ...
, and serves as the administrative center for the University of Missouri–Columbia.
Lafferre Hall
The Engineering Building was built in 1892 and lies on the west side of the quad. After a significant donation, the building is now called Lafferre Hall.
Pickard Hall
Pickard Hall was built in 1892 and contained the MU Art and Archaeology Museum until 2013, when it was closed due to latent radiation from experiments dating 1910-1930. It was named after professor of archaeology and art history
John Pickard.
Residence on the Quad
The Residence on The Quad was built in 1867 and stands on the East side of the quad. It is the oldest building left standing on campus.
Thomas Jefferson's original tombstone stands between this building and The Columns. The Residence is intended to be the official home of the University's
chancellor.
Sociology
The Sociology building was built in 1892 and stands near the northeast corner of the quad. The building has been renovated and turned into the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute.
Swallow Hall
Swallow Hall was built in 1893 and stands on the southeast corner. It is named after George Clinton Swallow, Missouri's first state geologist. Today the building holds the Museum of Anthropology.
Switzler Hall
Switzler Hall was constructed in 1871 as the "Scientific Building". It is the oldest academic building left standing on campus. Switzler Hall is named after curator William Franklin Switzler. One of the notable attractions of Switzler Hall is the bell tower. The bell was given to the University by Major James S. Rollins and is inscribed with the words "Nunc occasion est et tempus," which translated is, "Now is the occasion and the time." The bell rang each hour classes were in session until 1936.
Monuments
The Columns
The Columns that once supported
Academic Hall
Academic Hall was the original main building of the University of Missouri. It was dedicated in 1843 and destroyed by fire in 1892. Academic Hall's six Ionic columns, today known as The Columns, stand on Francis Quadrangle as the most recogniz ...
designed by
Stephen Hills now stand in the middle of the quad. The Columns are the only remaining part of Academic Hall after it burned on January 9, 1892. In August 1893 the Board of Curators voted to remove the Columns because they thought that they were unsafe and ugly. The Columns were inspected and found that the foundations were sound. Local support for keeping the Columns changed the Board's mind and the vote was reversed in December 1893. Today, The Columns are the second-most photographed landmarks in the state of Missouri, next to the
Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch is a monument in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of a weighted catenary arch, it is the world's tallest arch and Missouri's tallest accessible building. Some sources consider ...
in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
.
Thomas Jefferson's tombstone
Thomas Jefferson's original tombstone stands on the east side of the quad. Jefferson's original tombstone was given to Mizzou by his heirs in July 1883 due to Mizzou being the first University founded within Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase.
The plaque on the gravestone reads "This original marker, placed at the grave of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, Virginia in 1826, constructed from his own design, was presented July 4, 1883, by the Jefferson heirs to the University of Missouri. First state university to be founded in the Louisiana Territory purchased from France during President Jefferson's administration. The obelisk, dedicated on this campus at commencement June 4, 1885, commemorates Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, whose faith in the future of western America and whose confidence in the people has shaped our national ideals; commemorates the author of the Declaration of Independence and of the Virginia statute for religious freedom, founder of the University of Virginia, fosterer of public education in the United States."
And under these words it reads (the original epitaph)
"Here was buried Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of American Independence of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom and FATHER of the University of Virginia"
Francis Marker
As tribute to former governor of Missouri, David R. Francis, a statue of stands just northeast of the entrance to Jesse Hall. It is a tradition that before an exam a student will rub his nose to receive an A on the exam. Due to the tradition's popularity the statue's nose has been replaced three times since its dedication.
Barton Marker
A stone marker memorializing Missouri's first senator
David Barton stands at the southwest corner of The Quad.
British House of Parliament Stone
A Stone from the House of Parliament stands outside the J-School.
Chinese Lions
Two ancient Chinese lions guard the archway to 9th Street at the northeastern side of The Quad.
Gallery
File:1875 University of Missouri Columbia University of MissouriArchives.png, Drawing of Academic Hall, Switzler Hall, and the President's House around 1875
File:AcademicHallOriginal.jpg, Academic Hall as it was originally constructed, sometime before 1885
File:Academic Hall and Chalybeate Spring at some point in the 1880s.jpg, Academic Hall and Chalybeate Spring in the 1880s
File:AcademicHallBeforeFire.jpg, Academic Hall with the expanded east and west wings, perhaps in 1890-1892
File:Academic Hall Fire.jpg, The burning of Academic Hall
Academic Hall was the original main building of the University of Missouri. It was dedicated in 1843 and destroyed by fire in 1892. Academic Hall's six Ionic columns, today known as The Columns, stand on Francis Quadrangle as the most recogniz ...
in 1892. Flame can be seen licking the columns of the portico
File:MizzouColumns1892.jpg, The Columns stand in the rubble of Academic Hall after the 1892 fire, the new buildings of Francis Quad in the background
File:Artist rendering of David R. Francis Quadrangle (1893).jpg, Plans for the creation of the Quad drawn by architect Morris Frederick Bell
Morris Frederick Bell (August 8, 1849 – August 2, 1929) was an American architect known primarily for his institutional buildings but also for his domestic and commercial structures. His best known work is the David R. Francis Quadrangle t ...
File:JesseHall1892.jpg, Jesse Hall around 1895
File:Artist rendering of David R. Francis Quadrangle (1905).jpg, Artist rendition of The Quad around 1905
File:Aritst depiction of David R. Francis Quadrangle around 1910 .jpg, Artist rendition of The Quad around 1910
File:Savitar (1922) (14799530953).jpg, 1922 Savitar yearbook picture of ivy covered Columns
File:Historic columns, Missouri University, Columbia, Mo (69653).jpg, 1930-45 postcard of the "Historic Columns Missouri University"
File:Francis Quadrangle.JPG, The Columns in the snow
File:Mizzou-columns-JayBuffington.jpg, The Columns with Jesse Hall
Jesse Hall is the main administration building for the University of Missouri. Its dome has towered 180 feet above the south end of David R. Francis Quadrangle since its completion in 1895. In the lawn in front of Jesse Hall are The Columns, all ...
in the background
File:Mizzou Jesse.jpg, From the Avenue of the Columns
File:AvenueOfTheColumns.JPG, From Elm Street in snow
File:Mizzou Jesse Thumb.jpg, Jesse and the Columns
File:Jesse Hall and the Columns, University of Missouri - panoramio.jpg, The Quad in 2009
File:Jefferson tombstone at the University of Missouri.jpg, Original tombstone of Thomas Jefferson
File:Jefferson Statue at the University of Missouri.jpg, Bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson
File:Residence on the Quad at the University of Missouri.jpg, Residence on the Quad
File:Switzler Hall at mizzou, Quad side.jpg, Switzler Hall
File:Law barn at the University of Missouri.jpg, Reynolds Journalism Institute
File:The geology building on Francis Quad at mizzou.jpg, The Geology Building
File:Swallow hall at mizzou (front).jpg, Swallow Hall in summer
File:Swallow Hall 2015.jpg, Swallow Hall undergoing construction in 2015
See also
*
History of the University of Missouri
The University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, was established in 1839. This later expanded to the statewide University of Missouri System.
Founding and early years
MU was founded in 1839 as part of the Geyer Act to establish a state land-g ...
References
External links
Francis Quadrangle video
{{National Register of Historic Places listings in Boone County, Missouri
University of Missouri campus
University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
National Register of Historic Places in Boone County, Missouri
National Register of Historic Places in Columbia, Missouri
Tourist attractions in Columbia, Missouri
Architecture in Columbia, Missouri
Landmarks in Columbia, Missouri