Campus Buildings & Facilities

Administration Building.

The C.E. Maedgen Administration Building, completed in 1962, houses the administrative offices of the University. This structure will remain as a lasting tribute to the late Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Maedgen of Lubbock, Texas.

Band Hall.

This two-story structure contains a large rehearsal room, offices, practice rooms, and storage rooms. The funds for its construction were provided through the generous gifts of foundations and alumni and friends of the McMurry Band Program. A total renovation was completed in 2008.

Bobby Lee Carter Throws Complex.

Dedicated in April 2011, the Bobby Lee Carter Throws Complex, located just to the west of Wilford Moore Stadium, is one of the finest small college state-of-the-art throws facilities for the shot put, discus, hammer throw and javelin events. The facility has been enclosed by an eight-foot chain-link fence that surrounds the area. Carter was a 1952 graduate of McMurry University and Athletic Hall of Honor inductee in 1999 and was the primary donor for the throws facility. 

Campus Center.

Completed in the fall of 1979, the Shirley L. and Mildred Garrison United Methodist Campus Center is a $2 million structure located in the center of McMurry’s campus. The campus center is a partially underground structure with grassy slopes rising around its walls. This structure is used for a wide variety of activities. Weekly campus worship services and special events are held in the Mabee Room, students’ free time may be spent in the Sports Grille or the Nest, and the faculty relaxes in the faculty lounge. In 2003, the Braniff Lounge became the Windjammers Lounge honoring a McMurry student band of the 1960s. The campus center was recently renovated to include new carpet in the Mabee Room and new furniture and carpeting in the Windjammer’s Lounge. Other facilities located here are the college bookstore, student government, Campus Activities Board office, post office, Carleton Chapel and the Religious and Spiritual Life office.

Noel R. And Anita Henry Chapin Art Building.

Constructed in 1999-2000. The Chapin Building provides instructional space for ceramics and for student and faculty studios.

Classroom Building.

The Harold Groves Cooke Liberal Arts Building houses classrooms, faculty offices, and computer labs.

Dining Hall.

The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Dining hall was completed in the summer of 1988 at an approximate cost of $1,100,000. It covers approximately 13,900 square feet and is located adjacent to the northwest corner of the Campus Center. Food service is prepared to serve in excess of 2,000 meals per day. The dining hall has a maximum seating capacity for 500 persons. 

Education Building.

The Iris Graham Education building, a renovation of the Iris Graham Memorial Dining Hall, was completed in 1989. It provides offices for the Department of Curriculum and Instruction faculty; three general purpose classrooms; two demonstration classrooms; and audiovisual, curriculum, and computer laboratories. A grant from the Mayer Foundation of Plainview has allowed the purchase of “state-of-the-art” equipment for training future teachers.

Field House.

The R. M. Medley Field House was completed in the summer of 1982 at an approximate cost of $400,000. Located just to the south of the J.W. Hunt Physical Education Center, and adjacent to Wilford Moore Stadium, the Field House serves as the dressing facility for football. A fully-equipped weight training facility is housed in the Field House as well as a 3600 square foot carpeted workout area.

Furr Welcome Center.

The Furr Welcome Center opened in September, 2007, and serves as a welcome center for future McMurry students and guests. It houses personnel from Alumni Relations and University Events and provides a meeting and gathering place for McMurry Alumni and friends as well as for outside groups. Its addition to the auditorium improves the accessibility and usability of Radford Memorial Auditorium. The building is adjacent to Radford with an entrance that faces southeast. Abilene architect Rick Weatherl designed the building to compliment Radford with the Welcome Center closely resembling the original sketches of the Radford Building that included two wings for additional space. The principal donors for the building were Doctors Bedford and Oneta Furr of Abilene, Texas.

Fine Arts Center.

The Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Center is a memorial to the late Mrs. Amy Graves Ryan given by the late Dr. Basil Ryan, her husband, who served as a trustee of the University. The Fine Arts Center houses the Departments of Art, Music, Communication, and Theatre. The Munger Sculpture Garden in the center outdoor area of the fine arts complex is a memorial to Mr. L.S. Munger. This was presented to the University by Dr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Middleton. Marsha Middleton contributed the abstract stone sculpture to the garden.

Library.

The Jay-Rollins Library is one of the most striking buildings on the McMurry campus with its two-story wall of windows on the Mezzanine floor. The steel and glass architecture make this building a fitting memorial to Mr. and Mrs. S.M. Jay and to Mr. and Mrs. Nat G. Rollins, from whose estates it was largely financed.

Old Main Building.

The Old Main Building is the former administrative building in which are located several classrooms, faculty offices, and administrative offices.

Physical Education Center.

The J.W. Hunt Physical Education Center is the result of a generous anonymous gift and a $500,000 Matching Fund Campaign and was completed at a cost of $1.3 million. The Physical Education Center, located on the west side of the campus, features all modern health and physical education facilities. The main playing floor is used for men’s and women’s intercollegiate competition and for a variety of other activities when regularly scheduled programs permit. The gymnasium area, known as Kimbrell Arena, can seat over 2,100 for competitive sports events. Also included are individual offices for athletic and kinesiology staff members, Wellness Center, one classroom and the Human Performance Lab.

Radford Auditorium.

Located on the northeast corner of the campus, Radford Memorial Auditorium further enhances the dignity and beauty of McMurry University. The building is a gift from Mrs. J.M. Radford, philanthropist and prominent McMurry benefactress. Standing as a beacon to Christian higher education, the tower of this building, which rises to a height of over one hundred feet, may be seen from a distance of over twenty miles. Modern Gothic in architectural style, the heart of this building is its spacious auditorium and sanctuary, which seats twelve hundred people. Admissions and Advancement offices are located in Radford.

Phillips Family Student Activities Center.

The Phillips’ Family Student Activities Center is attached to the J.W. Hunt Physical Education Center on the south side and extends to the Field house. The complex includes an indoor swimming pool with a handicap lift, recreation gymnasium, student lounge area, and dressing facilities. The swimming pool includes a diving pool area with 1 meter and 3 meter diving boards and 6 lanes on a NCAA 25 yard course. It is used for competition and instruction in physical education, and recreation for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The gymnasium includes basketball, volleyball, badminton and racquetball courts.

Science.

The Finch-Gray Science Center provides laboratory, classroom, and office space for the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Human Health Science, Physics, and Sustainability and Renewable Resources. This building will remain as a lasting tribute to Mr. and Mrs. O.H. Finch, Sr. and the late Mrs. Rebecca Estes Gray.

Wilford Moore Stadium.

The university stadium contains a standard track and athletic field. It is used for all McMurry home football games, men’s and women’s soccer matches and track meets.

Residence Halls

Living on campus provides many opportunities to discover and develop one’s talents. In addition, students tend to become better assimilated into McMurry’s culture and develop rapid friendships and support networks by living on campus. Students live together in learning and living communities where they receive support from trained resident assistants and peer leaders. The experience of living on campus is the foundation to life beyond McMurry. Due to the advantages of residing on campus, McMurry requires that all students who are single, under the age of 21, have earned less than 60 McMurry credit hours, or who do not reside with a parent or legal guardian within 30 miles of McMurry live on campus. Anyone wishing to reside off campus must get approval through application to the Residence Life office.

All students in the residence halls are required to purchase a meal plan. All residents are responsible for following the guidelines set by McMurry University concerning housing, as well as all policies and regulations listed in the Student Handbook, in the housing agreement, and The Residence Life Guidebook.

There are 5 residential centers located on the McMurry campus:

• Gold Star Residence Hall - The Gold Star Memorial Residence Hall opened in 1948. This hall houses men and women and is a memorial to the Methodist men and women of the Northwest Texas and New Mexico conferences who gave their lives in World War II. The hall is arranged by suites with shared bath facilities.
• Hunt Residence Hall - James Winford Hunt Memorial Residence Hall houses only men. The rooms are arranged in suites with shared bath facilities. This residence hall was newly renovated and ready for occupancy in Fall 2005.
• Martin Residence Hall - William C. Martin Residence Hall houses only women in rooms that are arranged by suites with shared bath facilities. This residence hall was newly renovated and ready for occupancy in Fall 2005.
• President Residence Hall - President Residence Hall was the first hall on campus. President houses men only. Each room has different dimensions and shares one of two centralized bath facilities on each floor.
• Apartments - Students who have completed 30 or more hours have the option of living in the McMurry apartment community conveniently located on campus. The apartments are furnished, have complete kitchens, open living area with a separate bedroom for each resident. A common area open to all apartment residents for studying and relaxing is available with attached laundry facilities. Residents living in the apartments are not required to purchase a meal plan, but have the option if they so desire.

Academic Enrichment Center

The Academic Enrichment Center (AEC), located in the Jay Rollins Library, is an integral part of the academic services of McMurry University. The AEC serves the university by providing academic support and instructional resources for students, staff, and faculty in a comprehensive learning environment. Resources include a scanner, color printer, fax machine, and access to academic software programs. Services provided include professional tutoring, peer tutoring, computer tutorials, and internet access. Other services provided include academic counseling and study skills development. The primary function of the AEC is to provide vital academic support services to all McMurry students through programs designed to help underprepared students prepare, prepared students advance, and advanced students excel. Through the tools and services it provides, the AEC helps enable students from all economic and educational backgrounds to pursue academic excellence.

The Director of Academic Enrichment is assisted by the AEC Math Coordinator, the AEC Writing Coordinator, one professional tutor and two professional staff members. Peer tutors are also available to assist students in various subject areas. During the fall and spring semesters, the AEC is normally open during the following hours:

Library Facilities

The Jay-Rollins Library and its Learning Commons serve the students, faculty, and staff of the University and the Abilene Community as a member of the Abilene Library Consortium. The library houses a growing collection of print and digital resources, including books, periodicals, databases, e-journals, e-books and media. As an added value, patrons have access to the library collections at Abilene Christian University, Hardin-Simmons University, Howard Payne University, and the Abilene Public Library through the Consortium’s online catalog. Together the libraries’ collections total more than 2 million items. These resources are accessible on the library’s home page.

http://library.mcm.edu

With the Multi-Search database, patrons can search the catalog, databases, and online books and journals at the same time. Off-Campus access to databases is available using a McMurry email login and password. The Learning Commons encompasses a student computing area, a Periodicals reading area, the Academic Enrichment Center (AEC), and TRIO Support Services. The Library’s media collection of DVD’s, VHS and music CD’s, digital cameras and digital video cameras is located in L116 behind the front desk.

The Library has WiFi access throughout the building and The Brew, a coffee shop in the lobby. Two classrooms, L201 and L202, are located on the second floor.

Three professional librarians are assisted by two full time staff members, and student assistants. The library is open 75.5 hours a week during the fall and spring semesters.

The University Archives and two special collections are located in the Library: the J.W. Hunt Library of Texana and the Southwest, and the E. L. and A. W. Yeats Collection. The library is an active participant in OCLC Inc., and is a member of the AMIGOS Bibliographic Council, the Llano Estacado Information Access Network (LEIAN), and the Texas Council of Independent College and University Libraries (TICUL).

Computer Resources

Computer resources are well integrated into McMurry’s curriculum. Through a program, known as MOVE (Mobile Online Visionary Education) the University supplies students with the use of a computer during their undergraduate education. Every residence hall is wired into the computer network with a port for each student providing Internet and e-mail service. All classrooms, residence halls, and most of the remaining campus also have wireless access. There are currently 2 multipurpose computer laboratories with computer hardware, software, and other learning resources. The availability and use of this technology is supported by McMurry’s faculty and administration. The application of electronic databases, analytical tools, presentation software, multimedia software, and Internet based course management systems is woven into the fabric of the educational process at McMurry. Hardware and software standards have been adopted. All departments require some utilization of PC’s and standard office productivity software is used across the disciplines. McMurry is committed to providing academic experiences that prepare all students, regardless of their majors, for entry into an increasingly sophisticated and complex technological world.

Music Facilities

The Department of Music has practice facilities located in both the Ryan Fine Arts Building and the Bynum Band Hall. Concert facilities include a one hundred sixty - seat recital hall and the twelve-hundred seat Radford Memorial Auditorium. A variety of pianos and practice organs for student use are available. A thirty-five bell Fritsen carillon is located in Radford Memorial Tower. Performance instruments are available in the Recital Hall and Radford Auditorium for concert and community use.

Kinesiology And Wellness Facilities

Long noted for its strong program for the preparation of physical education teachers and coaches, McMurry takes pride in its facilities for physical education, recreation, and athletics. The Hunt Center for Physical Education includes classrooms and facilities for instructional and fitness-related activities. The center houses a rehabilitation/treatment area, wet room with access to ice, and a taping room. The Wellness Center is housed on the second floor of the Hunt P.E. Center and contains a complete fitness center with weight and cardiovascular machines, free weights, and testing equipment. Although the Wellness Center is located in the Hunt P.E.Center, it is not confined to this area. The Center also offers campus-wide and community programs in the six areas of wellness: physical, spiritual, occupational, social, emotional, and intellectual.

Science Facilities

Biology

The Department of Biology laboratories are well equipped for teaching classical and modern biology. There are teaching labs dedicated to field biology, molecular biology, microbiology, and anatomical dissection, as well as general purpose labs useful for a variety of courses. Standard equipment such as waterbaths, incubators, electrophoresis setups, and microscopes are augmented by equipment for molecular biology and GPS-based field work. In addition to a vast collection of microscope slides, anatomical models, skeletons, and digital resources for students, teaching labs are equipped with computer-interfaced equipment for studying physiology and video-interfaced microscopes. Anatomy and physiology labs are supported by dissection and teaching collections of mammals, birds, and insects; plant studies are supported by a herbarium of plants of the Southwest and live specimens cultivated in the department’s greenhouse. Students are encouraged to join faculty in research, and additional equipment is dedicated for that purpose. Equipment includes rtPCR, gel imaging system, a variety of incubation methods, fermenters, several researchgrade microscopes, tissue culture capability, and numerous centrifuges for supporting the study of cells and organisms. Field resources include environmental sampling materials, a variety of conventional, live, and camera traps, equipment for aerial, ground, and water-based sampling, and resources for GIS mapping and analysis. A recent $1.7M renovation of the biology space supports the innovative approaches used in the Biomedical Science program makes these facilities the jewel of the campus.

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry laboratories are equipped to provide students with hands-on experience in general, organic, analytical, inorganic, physical, and biochemistry courses. A computer laboratory is available for student access to specialized chemistry software for teaching and research. Faculty research labs support work with students on research projects funded by a Welch Foundation departmental grant. In addition to standard equipment such as analytical balances, refractometers, polarimeters, potentiometers, and various types of spectrophotometers, major instrumentation is available to support teaching and research such as a high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC), cyclograph, electroanalytical equipment, gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS), and a research-grade microwave synthesizer. Other major instruments include a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), a spectrofluorometer, a research-grade UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer.

Human Health Science

The Department Human Health Science is a new program supported by the Title V Partnering for STEM Success co-op grant with Cisco College. The Department faculty are largely drawn from other areas of campus by means of dual appointments, with many coming from Biology and Chemistry. Its focus is on human biology related to health and wellness, as the primary program dedicated to preparation of future healthcare and wellness professionals. The Title V grant provided funding for recent renovation of labs for use by HHSC faculty for teaching and research. These facilities include an abundance of resources for teaching human anatomy and physiology courses, including Visible Body software for all students, an array of anatomical models, and a computer lab to support Title V program courses. In addition, labs for research and teaching of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genetics were renovated to provide up-to-date resources for these important topics in the Human Health Science programs. Support from the Title V grant also provided the Phenom XL scanning electron microscope and accessories for sample preparation to support HHSC teaching and research programs, along with Research Teams supported by the grant.

Physics

The Department of Physics laboratories are well equipped for teaching and undergraduate research. Recently renovated spaces allow for innovative teaching approaches with active use of modern instructional technology. Equipment includes lasers, Geiger and scintillation counters and scales, modern PASCO data collecting systems, LabVIEW programming language operated ELVIS data acquisition card, Michelson interferometers, grating and prism spectrometers, oscilloscopes, and an ample stock of meters and laboratory standards. Recently upgraded machine shop includes a lathe, a mill and other mechanical equipment that allows students to work on the projects involving design and building of mechanical devices. Several 3D printers and a 3D scanner are available for student use to print plastic parts for various engineering projects. A collection of telescopes is also available for student instruction. Additionally, the Physics Department is a member of the National Undergraduate Research Observatory and thus faculty and students have access to a 31” telescope at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Sustainability and Renewable Resources

The Department of Sustainability and Renewable Resources is a new program supported by the Title V Partnering for STEM Success co-op grant with Cisco College. The Department faculty are largely drawn from other areas of campus by means of dual appointments. Its focus is on addressing the challenges our world faces with respect to environmental and social impact of human life on earth. The Title V grant supports the teaching and research of this Department through provision of instrumentation and resources used by Research Teams and in SUST courses. These include a full renovation of the campus Greenhouse and upcoming additions of solar panels for exploring the field of solar energy, a water catchment system to provide storage of rainwater for the greenhouse, and an outdoor laboratory addition to the greenhouse to enable instruction for courses better suited to the outdoors. Funding from Title V has also provided improvements to Firebase Libby, McMurry’s field station, and an abundance of resources for Research Teams and SUST courses and research.