BRIT Timeline

Our History

1987  BRIT incorporates as a non-profit organization to house the Southern Methodist
          University Herbarium, consisting of 450,000 specimens, and its botanical library
          with 75,000 volumes from the personal collections of Lloyd H. Shinners, one of the
          most influential Texas botanists of the 20th century. BRIT occupies 11,500 square
          feet on two floors of a turn-of-the-century warehouse in downtown Fort Worth,
          Texas.

1991  BRIT opens to the public.

1993  Dr. Sohmer joins BRIT.

1997  Vanderbilt University donates its herbarium of over 360,000 specimens to BRIT.

2001  BRIT acquires the Houston Public Museum (HPM) Herbarium.

2002  BRIT acquires the Dartmouth College (HNH) Herbarium.

2003  BRIT acquires the Heber W. Youngken, Jr. Collection of Medicinal Plants (MCP).

2005  Fort Worth City Council votes unanimously to give BRIT a lease on the land
          adjacent to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

2005  BRIT’s herbarium contains 995,000 plant specimens, and its library houses 93,000
          volumes of books and journals.

2009  December 14, BRIT holds groundbreaking ceremonies for its new headquarters.

2010  BRIT’s herbarium contains 1,020,000 plant specimens and its library houses
          100,000 volumes of books and journals.

2011  February, BRIT staff moves into its new building.

2011  May 21, BRIT holds its grand opening event for the public.