History

History of the Munsell Color Science Laboratory

The Munsell Color Science Laboratory (MCSL) can be traced back through the Munsell Color Foundation, and further back to that Foundation's start with the Munsell Color Company. The Munsell Color Company was founded by Professor Albert H. Munsell, the originator of the Munsell Color Order System. The directors of the Munsell Color Company eventually sold the company's assets and created the Munsell Color Foundation. The Munsell Color Foundation was charged with furthering the scientific and practical advancement of color knowledge.

In 1983, the Foundation trustees voted to dissolve the foundation, and donate the proceeds to an academic institution for the creation and endowment of the Munsell Color Science Laboratory. RIT was selected as the recipient of this donation, and MCSL was born. (Note: There is no formal relationship between the RIT Munsell Color Science Laboratory and the Munsell Color Company, a subsidiary of GretagMacbeth.)

The creation of MCSL was in large part due to the efforts of Franc Grum, the first MCSL Director and holder of the R.S. Hunter Professorship. Prior to founding MCSL, Professor Grum was a member of the Munsell Color Foundation, long-standing friend of RIT as an employee of the Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories, and an Adjunct Professor in the Photographic Science Department.

Initially, MCSL was a part or RIT's College of Graphics Arts and Photography. RIT later created the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, and the Munsell Lab became a research laboratory within that Center, currently housed in RIT's College of Science.

In 1989, MCSL and the Center for Imaging Science moved to a new, state of the art facility with approximately 6,500 square feet of space dedicated to color science research and education.

In the spring of 2003, space opened up in a nearby building. After extensive renovations, MCSL moved into the new space, now formally called the Color Science Building. The collocation of all our offices and laboratory space has fostered an improved collaborative spirit in what was already an exciting, cooperative organization.