To understand the history of Gilman Hall in full, we have to step back to the beginning of Iowa State’s chemistry department. Disaster struck in 1913 when the original chemistry building, Chemistry Hall, which was situated roughly where Pearson Hall stands today, burned to the ground over winter break. During 1942, in the midst of World War II, the chemistry department and Gilman Hall played a role in nuclear chemistry. The pair developed a way to produce pure uranium to be used for the Manhattan Project here at Ames Laboratory and Gilman Hall. Plaques in Gilman Hall, Ames Laboratory and near Forker Hall briefly cover the importance of the locations.