A. D Buck Museum of Science and History is a museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 in Tonkawa, Oklahoma

Tonkawa, Oklahoma

Tonkawa is a city in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 3,299 at the 2000 census.-History:...

 located on the campus of Northern Oklahoma College

Northern Oklahoma College

Northern Oklahoma College is a community college located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, with additional campuses located in Enid, Oklahoma and Stillwater, Oklahoma. Student enrollment is approximately 2,700.-History:...

.

History

Originally called the Yellow Bull Museum after a Nez Perce chief, the museum was renamed in 1966 to honor its long-time director, A.D. Buck, who served from the 1930s until 1966.

It was founded in 1913 by C. E. Johnson who was a biology instructor at the college. Johnson's taxidermy

Taxidermy

Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...

 course led to many of the early specimens in the museum. The museum was originally housed in Wilkin Hall before the building burnt down in 1914. The museum remained in North/Harold Hall until 1968 when it was given its own building.

Exhibits

The museum features the history of: Northern Oklahoma College, E.W. Marland's Three Sands Oil Field, the Tonkawa World War II Prisoner of War Camp, and William H. Vanselous' Big V Ranch.
Science exhibits include mounted specimens of birds and mammals, and the Herbert Walther Mineral/Fossil Collection (housed in nearby Crowder Science Hall.)