Heber J. Grant Building

This building, originally the Heber J. Grant Library, was dedicated in 1925 as part of the university’s three-day Semi-Centennial celebration. As the existing library was located in the Education Building on lower campus (located on University Avenue and 500 N. in Provo), the 40,000 volumes were loaded onto wagons and then hauled to their new home on upper campus. There was a three-day celebration when the building was completed because it was the first building in the university’s 50-year history devoted to a library.

Heber J. Grant, for whom the building was named, was the president of the LDS Church from 1918 to 1945.

The original structure of the building included a large study hall, which was also used for class registration and banquets. Later, when the new library was completed, the room was used to house the artifacts and exhibits of the College of Biological and Agricultural Sciences. The displays were moved to their permanent location in the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum in 1978.

In 1982, the building was once again converted, this time to house the University Testing Center. Exams written by professors are provided in the Testing Center and made available to students at appropriate times during the semester. Generally, students have three days in which to take the exam. This way precious class time is reserved for lectures. As the students choose the day and time to take the exam, it is a psychological plus for them. Multiple choice exams are taken on computer trans paper and graded immediately, with the students receiving their scores within fifteen to thirty seconds. This can be both good and bad depending on the grade, of course. Essay exams are taken in paperback blue books. They are scored by the professors and returned to the student at a later date.