Brief History:
New Mexico State University was known as Las Cruces College when it was first started in downtown Las Cruces by Hiram Hadley in 1888. The following year the territorial legislature created New Mexico A & M Land Grant University (now NMSU) in Las Cruces and the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Hiram Hadley hired the first Chemistry faculty member, in 1890, Elmer O. Wooten, a botanist and chemist. At that time one year of chemistry was required for a degree in Agriculture.

In 1893 Arthur Goss became the first professor (head) of chemistry, the chemistry department was housed in the basement of the old Main Building. Courses in chemistry were a requirement in all four of the early courses of study (agriculture, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and general scientific). Students in General Science could concentrate on Chemistry which is the origin of the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry.

In 1905 the courses offered were two terms of general chemistry, one term each of qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis, and two terms of agriculture chemistry. In 1908 a course in organic chemistry was added. In 1910 Professor Fred Hare took a one-year leave to finish his doctorate at Columbia University, he was the first member of the department with a doctorate.

The first course in physiological chemistry was added in 1911, and the first course in physical chemistry was added in 1922. That same year Glenn Hamiel joined the faculty to teach analytical chemistry, and his wife, Flora was the secretary to several presidents and has a dormitory named in her honor. Dr. Hamiel taught until 1962.

A degree in chemical engineering was first offered in 1922 and the name of the department was changed to the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. In 1933-34 the total enrollment in chemistry courses was 201, and by 1939-40 it had reached 475, which was over 50 per cent of the total enrollment in the College. By the end of the 1940's the increases in students and faculty were seriously straining the capacity of the chemistry space in Science Hall. Professor Botkin repeatedly requested a new building for chemistry.

In 1950 Chemical Engineering and Chemistry split into two departments, at that time we had 8 faculty members, 5 of whom held doctoral degrees and the department was housed in part of the Science Hall and two nearby barracks. In 1952 the Master's Degree program was started and the first M.S. graduate was Robert E. Neligan who graduated in 1953. The American Chemical Society approved our Bachelor of Science degree that same year, and in 1957 the new Chemistry Building was opened, twenty years after it was first requested by Dr. Botkin. By 1964 we had 12 faculty members and started a Ph.D. program. Our first Ph.D. graduate was Hobart G. Hamilton in 1967. The research wing of the building was completed in 1968, between 1969 and 1970 the department had been granted 17 research grants which totaled $598,000. By 1970 we had a total of 20 faculty members, it has remained close to that level since.

The Chemistry Department at New Mexico State University is well outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that enable graduate students to conduct research on the cutting edge.