Grand Opening Set for the Del and Norma Robison Planetarium and Multimedia Theater

Through a partnership of University resources and private contributions, the Del and Norma Robison Planetarium and Multimedia Theater at Truman is ready for launch.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 10:45 a.m. Oct. 11 between the Student Union Building and the northwest corner of Magruder Hall.

Located in Magruder Hall, the Planetarium will enhance Truman’s educational mission as a liberal arts and sciences institution and strengthen the regional recruitment of students by bringing them on campus for presentations and performances. The facility will be an academic resource to support Truman courses in the sciences and fine arts, a community resource for regularly scheduled shows for the general public and an academic outreach by providing programming for local K-12 and home school populations.

Del and Norma Robison of Kirksville have made a leadership gift to the project. The Robisons are graduates of Truman State University and enjoyed long and distinguished teaching careers, including service to Novinger, Moberly and St. Louis area schools. While residents of Chesterfield, Mo., and teaching in the Pattonville School District, Del was actively involved in securing a grant to equip the district with a planetarium and observatory, becoming one of the few school districts to have such a facility.

The 60-seat, 1,800-square-foot Planetarium and Multimedia Theater project started in 2005 with the expansion and renovation of Magruder Hall. With the help of private donations from alumni, parents and friends of the University, the Planetarium is now the only such facility in nearly a 100-miles radius of Kirksville.

For more information, contact the Office of Advancement at 660.785.4133.