The Jepson Science Center or simply “Jepson Hall,” as it is known by the majority of UMW, was named after Alice Jepson who donated around 11 million dollars in order to build the building in the year 1964. (1)
The Jepson Science Center was built in the 1990’s under President William Anderson. This was because Combs hall had become overcrowded and dilapidated, and was greatly in need of repair. By the time, it was completed, the building had become the biggest building on campus. Today, Jepson hall is home to the Science department, and it has been host to numerous noteworthy events, including a panel of N.A.S.A dignitaries(one of which was Scott Carpenter, one of the Mercury Seven Astronauts) and oceanographer Robert Ballard, discoverer of the Titanic.(1)(2)
Resources:
(1) William B. Crawley Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (North Carolina: BW&A Books, Inc., 2008.)
(2) “Jepson Science Center,” Historic Buildings of the University of Mary Washington homepage, Accessed March 13, 2020. http://buildings.umwblogs.org/jepson-science-center/
