University of Missouri Gates

Built in 1915, the ornamental gates on the University of Missouri campus at Eighth and Elm streets were designed as an entrance and historic marker. The right gate depicts a bronze portrait relief of James Sidney Rollins, a man considered the father of the university, and the left gate shows John Hiram Lathrop, the first president of the school.

The estimated cost of the project was $2,500, an amount that came from a fund from the federal government for damage done to the university’s buildings during the Civil War. Damage occurred as Union soldiers occupied the university and destroyed and stole classroom equipment, books and building fixtures.

The two pillars were designed to be 6 square feet at the base, 19 feet high and 20 feet apart, with the MU seal engraved in the pillars and lamps mounted alongside. The memorial gateway, also referred to as the north gateway, is the north entrance to Francis Quadrangle, which is where Academic Hall once stood. A fire destroyed Academic Hall in 1892, and a stone was mortared into these gates years later. The cornerstone inscription reads: “Cornerstone in main building of University laid July 4, 1840. Removed after fire of January 9, 1892. Placed here September 21, 1915.”

Before James Sidney Rollins’ death in 1888 at age 75, he practiced law in Columbia. He worked toward establishing MU, along with roles in the state Legislature and the U.S. Congress. For about 25 years, Rollins was the president of the board of curators for the university, where his efforts helped with the growth and development of the institution. He was buried at the Columbia Cemetery.

John Hiram Lathrop also served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin and Indiana University but before that served as president of MU for about nine years. He returned to MU in 1865 after one year at Indiana University to serve the role as president once more. He died in office in 1866 and is also buried at the Columbia Cemetery.