The tallest building in Pullman is also known by all as the Webster Physical Science building on the WSU campus. It is a total of 169.52 feet tall and has 14 floors that are above ground with one below ground. However, that is not the only thing that is cool about this very large building.
History of WSU’s Physical Science Building
The Physical Science Building was built in 1974 after William Band decided it was time to gain more space for research and teaching. His goal was to bring the existing physics and geology classrooms together in a larger building that could house chemistry and biological sciences as well. The end result was a building where WSU students can study a wide number of sciences, including chemistry, physics, astronomy, and more.
It took a total of three years to build this towering building and cost the university 8.5 million dollars. During this time, William Band had already retired, but it is proven that even in retirement he was nearby throughout the construction of the building. He documented everything in photographs, which is great news because after construction there was some controversy regarding whether it was built solidly enough to stand. It was the photos that proved it was.
Since then, this building has seen a lot of history and so have the people who were lucky enough to be a part of its history. One example is Tom Dickenson, a professor of physics and astronomy, stood on the roof and watched ash and dust fall after the Mt. St. Helens eruption more than 30 years ago.
In 1994 it was named after WSU Regent Kate B. Webster. This is how it became known as the Webster building.
Things to See Within
Occasionally the doors are opened to people who are not students so that they can take a tour of high tech laboratories and learn about the history surrounding this building that has been standing for more than 40 years. When there are no special celebrations going on in regards to celebrating the years that this building has stood proudly over WSU there is a museum that nearby residents are invited to visit. One of the most popular is theGeology Museum, where you can view petrified wood, fossils, and a large variety of other exciting things that are all a part of Washington.
There are guided tours available and if you want, there are weekend tours. However, weekend tours are only available by special arrangement. If you want a weekend tour, you simply have to call or email in advance. Perhaps while on the guided tour you will be able to visit the Butler Auditorium and see the Struppler Theater Organ. The organ is a remnant of the Cordova Theater, which was thriving in 1927 when silent movies were played in downtown Pullman. It was brought to the Science Building in 1974 as a way to demonstrate and study musical acoustics.
From this building, once a year, physics students take part in the pumpkin drop. Students stand at a 12th floor window and drop pumpkins to illustrate the force of gravity on them.
