Carl F. Eyring Science Center
Built in 1950
Carl F. Eyring Science Center: Where We Began
The Eyring Science Center at Brigham Young University stands as a monument to scientific progress, educational ambition, and the legacy of Carl F. Eyring, a beloved physicist, professor, and long-serving dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Completed in 1950 after years of planning and debate, the science center was initially proposed by university president Howard S. McDonald, who envisioned a modern facility to house the departments of Chemistry, Physics, and Geology. The proposed 214-room building would accommodate up to 2,500 students and featured centralized demonstration areas and advanced laboratories, an ambitious vision at a time when postwar material shortages caused construction costs to balloon from an initial estimate of $250,000 to nearly $2 million. Despite resistance from some trustees, strong support from Joseph Fielding Smith helped secure approval, and construction moved forward. The building was later named in 1954 for Carl F. Eyring, who had been instrumental in its design and passed away shortly after its completion.
At the time of its dedication, the Eyring Science Center was the largest academic building in Utah, spanning 167,000 square feet and including the first elevator on campus. It symbolized BYU’s transition into a modern university with serious research capabilities. Eyring, who also served as a mission president, had emphasized the importance of creating strong educational institutions that could appeal to "intelligent and dynamic youth" and provide the organizational strength necessary to retain religious engagement. His vision helped inspire a building that was not only functional but symbolic of higher learning and spiritual purpose. Over the years, the center has continued to evolve: an underground physics research lab was added in 1986, a major interior renovation between 1993 and 1997 increased its earthquake resilience, and in 2006, a new observatory dome replaced the original.
Carl F. Eyring Science Center: Where We Are Now
The Eyring Science Center at Brigham Young University, completed in 1950 and named in 1954 for physicist and former dean Carl F. Eyring, was a groundbreaking academic facility for its time. Initially proposed by President Howard S. McDonald to centralize the sciences under one roof, it became the largest academic building in Utah and a major step forward in BYU’s development as a research university. Designed with input from Eyring himself, the building featured advanced laboratories, specialized lecture rooms, and cutting-edge research facilities. Despite postwar construction challenges and skyrocketing costs, which rose from an initial estimate of $250,000 to nearly $2 million, the project was pushed forward with the support of influential leaders like Joseph Fielding Smith. The result was BYU’s first modern university research building, intended to inspire a rising generation of educated and faithful students.
Over the years, the building has undergone major updates to meet modern standards. An underground physics lab was added in 1986, and from 1993 to 1997 the interior was fully rebuilt, strengthening its structural safety and improving its technology. A new observatory dome was installed in 2006, and the Royden G. Derrick Planetarium, featuring a 39-foot dome and seating for 115, opened in 2005, replacing the older Sarah Barrett Summerhays Planetarium. Today, the building houses the departments of Physics and Astronomy, Geology, and Food Science and Nutrition. It also includes the Orson Pratt Observatory and multiple interactive lobby exhibits such as a Foucault pendulum, a working seismograph, and a mounted Allosaurus skeleton, Utah’s state dinosaur.
The Eyring Science Center is not only a center of academic activity but also a space for hands-on learning and public engagement. The dietetics program operates the Pendulum Court Café, a student-run cafeteria that gives students real-world experience preparing healthy meals. The Food Science program manages a Sensory Lab, where taste-testing panels are conducted for local clients, allowing students, faculty, and community members to participate in food research. Outreach programs like Astrofest, open lab days, and regular public planetarium shows on Monday and Friday nights reflect the center’s continuing mission to blend science education with community service and engagement.