Bluffton students may be familiar with Shoker Science Center, the underground building located between Centennial Hall and Marbeck Center. The building is primarily used for labs in science classes. However, the building as it is today was not the original plan.
Archives and Special Collections Librarian Carrie Phillips. Photo by Nathan Heinze
“I have seen three different versions of Shoker,” said Archives and Special Collections Librarian Carrie Phillips. “There are plans in some of the files I found where the building is actually a rectangle.”
According to Phillips, the groundbreaking for Shoker was in March 1977, with the building being dedicated the following year. She said that documents in the archive suggest planning for the building started as early as 1965. Phillips also said several plans included a greenhouse, something that would end up as a separate building. One of the biggest differences, however, is that Shoker was originally pitched to have three floors. In fact, there is even a 3D model of this plan.
“It’s not a particularly large model, but it does pull apart,” said Professor of Chemistry Charles Daws, who is in possession of the 3D model. “It does pull apart so you can see what the interior looks like and what the floor plans were.”
Vice President for Advancement Hans Houshower said the model exists for architectural reasons, though he also speculates that the model was used to pitch the building to donors.
“You have a 3D model of a building, you put it in a briefcase, and the president or fundraiser goes on the road and takes the briefcase in the car,” said Houshower. “When they go visit a potential donor in their living room, they open up the briefcase and, ‘Wow, there’s a 3D model of the building.’ “
As for why the final building was changed, both Phillips and Daws said they believed it was due to a change in funding.
Professor of Chemistry Charles Daws. Photo by Nathan Heinze.
“The original plan included funding from the federal government,” said Daws. “For whatever reason, they decided they didn’t want to take the money from the federal government, so they built it with what money they had.”
Houshower gave a more nuanced account of the situation.
“The university was planning to fund a lot of the full-scope project with a federal grant,” said Houshower. “Government programs were providing capital funding to private colleges back at that time.”
Houshower said the funding wasn’t rejected by the university, however. Instead, he said the program as a whole got cut by President Richard Nixon via an executive order.
“This was during the time of the Vietnam War, and there were a lot of campus protests,” said Houshower.
Houshower clarified that his is not an official historian on Shoker, and his knowledge of Shoker comes from discussions with donors and retired faculty members.
As for the future of Shoker, Houshower said there were no concrete plans, but that ideas had been generated during meetings.
“Potentially it could be a space for different kinds of student activities, student groups,” said Houshower.
Houshower said plans for the building will not be decided until after the Austin E. Knowlton Science Center is built.
“I had classes in Shoker for all four years of my time here as a Bluffton student,” said Phillips. “I hope they find a good use for it.”
