Sharon Mosher’s place was the Natural History Building — specifically the spot beneath where those prehistoric whatchamacallits hung.
“I think they were mastodons,” says the dean of the geosciences department at the University of Texas. “There were these large prehistoric animal heads in the large first-floor hallway that contained part of the museum. They were mounted so that I could sit under them and write.
“No word processors back then,” notes Mosher, who finished her Ph.D. work at the UI in 1978.
“My office was visible from there, so I could have peace and quiet to write up my research while making sure I was available if necessary. But I was invisible to anyone coming by just to chat. The heads were quite old; they can be seen in a 1892 photograph of the exhibits in University Hall that were moved to the Natural History Building in 1909.
“I have fond memories of finishing my Ph.D. dissertation under their influence.”
