Rochester Museum & Science Center: Making history

Rochester Business Journal Staff//September 21, 2012//

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1881: Rochester Academy of Science formed
1887: Rochester Historical Society formed
1908: First Rochester Industrial Exposition
September 1912: Rochester Municipal Museum opens its doors in Exposition Hall, now Edgerton Park; Edward Putnam is appointed curator
1924: Putnam dies suddenly; Arthur Parker becomes director
1925: Museum becomes city department
1930: Name changes to Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences
1932-33: Funding cuts threaten closure; concerned citizens protest; funds appropriated to keep museum open
1935: Rochester Museum Association forms to support the museum
1940: Edward Bausch donates East Avenue home and grounds
1941: The Bausch Museum Building opens to the public; the Women’s Council forms
1945: Ill health forces Parker to resign; W. Stephen Thomas becomes director
1950: Museum acquires land stretching to Park Avenue with help from 104 donors
1957: Planetarium proposed
1964: Edwin and Clara Strasenburgh’s gift funds planetarium
1968: Stasenburgh Planetarium opens. Museum name changes to Rochester Museum & Science Center; operation transfers from city to board of trustees; RMSC receives charter from the state
1969: RMSC receives Cunningham house and property
1970: Ian McLennan becomes executive director
1973: Richard Shultz becomes executive director; Columbia School for Girls property acquired; Margaret and Howard Cumming donate land in Bristol Hills
1974: M. Herbert and Elsa Bausch Eisenhart fund construction of auditorium
1980: Caroline Gannett funds renovation of Columbia School building into Gannett School of Science and Man.
1982: Cumming Nature Center established; visitors center opens
1988: Elaine C. Wilson Hall opens in museum’s new wing
1996: Kate Bennett becomes president
2001: Genesee Community Charter School opens; Patricia Hale funds construction of Patricia F. Hale Hands-On Gallery
2006: John and Eileen Riedman donate funds to open Riedman Gallery