The UST Museum of Arts and Sciences was founded by a Professor of Natural History, Fr. Ramon Martinez Vigil, O.P. in 1870 at Intramuros, Manila. With the efforts of Fr. Casto de Elera, O.P. the collections particularly of the natural sciences were scientifically classified and cataloged. Before World War II, the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences was transferred to its present site, at the UST Main Building, Sampaloc, Manila. In 1988, a large part of the plant collection composed of 8 herbarium cases of about 8,200 specimens was transferred to the Research Center for the Natural Sciences on the 4th floor, Clinical Division of the UST Hospital. Since then, the UST Herbarium is continuously being replenished with new specimens through the collections made by the UST RCNAS research team, graduates, and undergraduate students. With the completion of the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex in November 2001, the plant collections were moved to their new and modern location.