Constructed in 1968 and dedicated by Governor Norbert Tiemann in April 1969.

• Originally called the Basic Science Building,
  
• In 1972, it was renamed Wittson Hall in honor of Dr. Cecil L. Wittson upon his retirement as Chancellor. Dr. Wittson was director of the ​Nebraska Psychiatric Institute from l950 through l964. He was dean of the College of Medicine until l968 when he became UNMC’s first ​chancellor.
  
• In August 2017, The Board of Regents approved an $18 million renovation project.
  
• The renovation started in 2018 and was completed in the spring of 2021. It included restoration of the nearly 50-year-old building to current ​ADA standards, renovated restrooms, and remodeled or repurposed space on all eight levels, including 49,500 square feet in the McGoogan ​Library and History of Medicine archives to provide state-of-the-art library and study space adapted for the predominance of digital media.
  
• The project also included the new Wigton Heritage Center.
  

The seal affixed on the outside of Wittson Hall is a ​replica of the College’s stain glass seal. It is above ​the 42nd Street entrance of Wittson Hall, between ​Dewey Avenue and Emile Street. The seal was ​installed in the summer of 2021 and weighs ​1,200-pounds. The medallion is 7 feet in diameter ​and five inches wide and was made from a ​casting of the original, lighter weight fiberglass ​medallion. The new piece consists of concrete ​reinforced with glass fiber.

At left is the front view of Wittson Hall along 42nd street as it appeared prior to the start of the 2019 renovation.

At right is after the renovation, with the new windows and seal above the entrance.

Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library

Dedicated in 1970.

Re-named the Leon S. McGoogan Library of Medicine in 1980 to honor Leon S. McGoogan, MD. Dr. McGoogan was a longtime UNMC obstetrician ​and gynecologist. He was honored for his private gifts to the library and for his fundraising efforts among College of Medicine alumni.

In 2020, the library was renamed to the Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library, to reflect the library's service to the whole campus.

A renovation began in 2019 and the Library was re-opened in the spring of 2021. The renovation included:

• Increased natural lighting (opening up the east wall and adding windows along 42nd Street).
• Upgraded IT infrastructure
• More than 50 study rooms
• Enhance makerspace facilities
• An expanded writing center and E-learning facility
• A faculty commons area to better support educators in light of UNMC's evolving interprofessional/experiential learning model.

The Wigton Heritage Center

Opened in 2021.

The original columns of University Hospital are encased indoors in the Wigton Heritage Center.

To learn more, visit the Wigton Heritage Center website and also check out their Digital Exploration Online Exhibit Gallery.

• The Board of Regents in June 2018 approved the construction and naming of a welcome and campus history center, the Wigton Heritage Center. ​Construction began in late 2019 and was completed in early 2021.
• The goal of the project is to showcase UNMC's unique heritage.
• The Heritage Center was constructed in conjunction with the Wittson Hall renovation project.
• Total project cost of $8 million that is fully privately funded
• Major funding was contributed by Robert Wigton, M.D., a 1969 alumnus of the College of Medicine who served as a professor in internal medicine at ​UNMC.
• The project included a multi-level glass addition while also updating the nearly 50-year-old Wittson Hall with significant modernization of the library and ​the current building safety codes.
• Includes approximately 10,000 square ft.
• The project replaced the existing walkways between Wittson Hall and University Tower. The buildings are now connected through a multi-floor space ​lined with interactive exhibits.
• Includes both free-standing and digital exhibit space, and enclosed University Hospital's historic facade and iconic columns within the Dr. Leland & ​Dorothy Olson Atrium. The atrium serves as a welcoming space for alumni, visitors, and others.