WSU is home to three superb collections: the Conner Museum, Ownbey Herbarium, and James Entomology Collection. All three began almost as soon as Washington State College opened its doors. They were considered central to the school’s land-grant mission to help farmers identify weeds and pests and to document the native flora and fauna of the state.

The collections soon grew beyond their teaching role. What makes them research collections is their sheer numbers. The Conner has about 69,000 specimens, the Herbarium about 375,000, the James more than 1.25 million.