Groundbreaking for a new Bridgewater College Science Center was held on April 8, 1994. It was designed by The Moseley McClintock Group with landscaping by Van Yahres Associates. The building was constructed by Nielsen Construction Company Inc. On August 29, 1995 the first classes were held in the new science center. It was dedicated as the McKinney Center for Science and Mathematics on April 12, 1996. The building’s name honors the late Dr. Robert Myers McKinney, a research chemist and Bridgewater College Trustee. Dr. McKinney left the bulk of his estate to Bridgewater College at his death in 1992, allowing a nearly 11 million dollar gift, the largest in the history of Bridgewater College. When the McKinney Center was first opened it housed 8 classrooms, 15 laboratories, 4 seminar rooms, 16 faculty offices, a science library, 4 computer labs, 80 computers and 19 research stations. The McKinney Center’s arched entry, white columns and their entablature served as the Bridgewater College logo for a number of years.