Our delightful, custom ornament is one that you will want to collect and gift. Handcrafted in the United States, this beautiful ornament celebrates 20 years of The Keeter Center at College of the Ozarks.
The Keeter Center was inspired by and built in honor of Dobyns Hall, one of the School of the Ozarks' first buildings. Dobyns Hall was initially constructed as the State of Main Building for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
After the fair, a group of physicians purchased the structure and moved it to the Ozarks to be used as a hunting and fishing lodge. Using twenty-two railroad cars, the group transported the State of Main Building to the Ozarks.
The School of the Ozarks purchased the lodge in 1915 and named it after Dr. Williams Ray Dobyns, the Chairman of the Missouri Synod Home Missions Committee of the Presbyterian Church and president of the School of the Ozarks' Board of Trustees.
Dobyns Hall served the School of the Ozarks until 1930, when it burned down.
At the turn of the 21st century, College of the Ozarks leadership was inspired by Dobyns Hall when looking to create a facility that would offer fine dining, lodging, and event space. Recreating such an iconic building was no small feat. Construction took 4.5 years, utilizing timber from Victor, Montana. The College of the Ozarks construction department and about 250 students worked together to build The Keeter Center. Today, it serves as part of the Work Education Program, helping students learn the art of hospitality as they work to graduate debt free.
Visitors are welcome to see the structure that has become, as President Emeritus Dr. Jerry C. Davis put it, "the crown jewel of our campus."
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Made in the USA
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Handcrafted
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Gift Box Included
