The Mosasaur greets students and faculty members as they enter Young Hall. The mosasaur is cast from the actual fossil of the dinosaur-like creature.
The mosasaur is on loan from John Hankla, son of Danville resident Jack Hankla. It is part of the impressive fossil collection that Jack and John Hankla have assembled over many years. Throughout the years, the Hanklas and collectors Danny and Kirtley Settles have enabled Centre to display part of their collections of dinosaur fossils (and fossils from other ancient reptiles, such as mosasaurs) and minerals.
“We wanted to share some of the wonders of natural science with the community,” Jack Hankla says, “and what better place to do it than Centre College? I have an enormous amount of respect for the College and what it offers to Danville, the state and beyond. This wouldn’t be the same place without Centre.”