The Brooks Memorial Mines Building was dedicated July 22, 1952. It housed the School of Mines for many years. After a $5.6 million renovation, the Brooks Building reopened in fall 2002 to house academic programs and services for rural and Alaska Native students. A gathering room, designed in the shape of an umiak, reflects the Alaska Native cultures served by the university. The College of Rural and Community Development main offices are located here.

The building is named in honor of Albert Hulse Brooks, chief Alaska geologist of the U.S. Geological Survey from 1903 to 1924 and former director of the Alaska USGS.