Historical Marker
New Mexico Tech
Historical marker location:
intersection of College and Leroy avenues, Socorro, New Mexico
( on campus of New Mexico Tech)
The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is consistently ranked as one of the top research universities in science and technology. Originally established as the New Mexico School of Mines, it was one of the original colleges established by the territorial legislature in 1889, with the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now New Mexico State University, in Las Cruces. The school specializes in science and engineering, offering doctorate-level degrees, and conducts extensive research and development. It is headquarters for the Very Large Array located 60 miles west of here.
During World War II, New Mexico was the site of several top-secret military installations, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where the atomic bomb was developed. The laboratory is still one of the largest employers in the state and conducts research in fields such as nuclear energy and national security.