As the Civil War raged on, the Union Army, following a defeat at Wilson’s Creek in southwest Missouri, fell back to Rolla and in 1863 constructed a double-deck blockhouse to protect the town from any rebel attack from the east. That building – named Fort Dette, after Capt. John F.W. Dette, who supervised most of its construction – sat on the site of what is now Missouri S&T.

Share This Story

Spark a Memory?

Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).

Communications entrepreneur and social engineer

Communications entrepreneur and social engineer

Kwesi Sipho Umoja, EE’67, says that Dr. Martin Luther King’s death had a profound effect on his perception of tomorrow….

Mary (Hilton) and Mike McEvilly

Mary (Hilton) and Mike McEvilly

Mary (Hilton) and Mike McEvilly met in August 1978 at a Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity party. As students, the two…

Amanda (Gealy) and Logan Meyer

Amanda (Gealy) and Logan Meyer

Amanda (Gealy) and Logan Meyer met through mutual friends during St. Pat’s in 2010. Amanda earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees…

Surveying the future of mining

Surveying the future of mining

Karl F. Hasselmann, who graduated in 1925 with a degree in mining engineering, was oil prospecting in Europe when he…

Building a legacy of mechanical engineering

Building a legacy of mechanical engineering

A registered professional engineer, John Toomey, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering in 1949 and 1951, founded…

Nick Swanson and Julia Ingram

Nick Swanson and Julia Ingram

Although Nick Swanson and Julia Ingram met during an informational meeting for FRC Robotics during high school back in 2011,…