At Binney and First streets in East Cambridge, a man named Adolph Sommer lived and died for his business – a liquid “leather-grease” manufactured until the late 1930s.

A Classical Revival building by an architect known for Roman Catholic churches featured five domes with two exhibition wings and a circular theater with seating for 3,000, and the world’s first Shoe & Leather Exposition drew 30,000 visitors on opening night. But success was short-lived.

After just 22 women were admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1966. officials decided to improve the environment and resources available for female students. Katharine Dexter McCormick, from the Class of 1904, stepped in to bridge a gap between intention and construction.