Thomas Condon was one of the university’s original faculty members in 1876. Built in 1924, Condon Hall is named in his honor. Condon was a missionary turned scientist who became professor of geology and natural history at the UO. He was, according to President Emeritus Robert D. Clark in a 1976 essay, "the only one of Oregon's early-day faculty to achieve something of a national reputation." Condon Hall was built to house the UO's science departments and today is home to the geography and anthropology departments and the environmental studies program.