Dear Alumni and Friends,

It has been nearly 10 years since I attended the first committee meeting about building an alumni house on campus. Since that time, I have experienced a range of emotions — from terror to cautious optimism to euphoria — when thinking about the project.

I must admit that when the Miner Alumni Association launched the campaign to build Hasselmann Alumni House, I thought the project was too risky. But the skeptic in me turned out to be wrong.

After years of migrating around campus, alumni have a 12,500-square-foot home of our own, on the best corner in Rolla. Now we have a beautiful space for meetings, mingling, major events — and just hanging out. We needed this common ground for many reasons. The main reason, perhaps, is the strength of permanent roots.

This issue salutes the vision that laid the foundation for Hasselmann Alumni House and the generosity that built it. From the story behind our namesake, to the number of nails in the roof, to photos of the dedication, these pages celebrate a homecoming unlike any other.

The door is open, the light is on. Make yourselves at home!

With gratitude,

Darlene Ramsay, MetE’84
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations and Advancement Services
Executive Vice President of the Miner Alumni Association