Items

• Department of Mechanics changes name to Department of Mechanics and Engineering Fundamentals

  1964: The Department of Mechanics changed its name to the Department of Mechanics and Engineering Fundamentals. (Gendebien, p. 452)
• Graphics absorbed into Department of Mechanics

  1961: Graphics was absorbed into the Department of Mechanics. (Gendebien, p. 435)
• Department of Mechanics formed

  1946: The department of Mechanics was formed with William G. McLean as its head. (Schaffer et al.)
• Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

  'In 1947, the Board of Trustees authorized the creation of a new Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics to offer engineering courses required of all engineering programs and not part of the specialty of any one.' (Gendebien, p. 263)
• Department of Metallurgical Engineering combined with Department of Chemical Engineering

  1976: Department of Metallurgical Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering were combined. (Gendebien, p. 611)
• Metallurgical engineering moved from basement of Markle to Dana Hall

  'Work began in the spring of 1965, also with funds from the Challenge campaign, on an addition to Alumni Hall of Engineering. The trustees decided to name it Dana Hall after Charles A. Dana, a major contributor. When the building was dedicated on Commencement day, June 3, 1966, the metallurgical engineering department was moved there from the basement of Markle Hall
• Establishment of Department of Metallurgical Engineering

  'In the fall of 1955 the Board of Trustees decided to admit no more students to the program and to drop mining engineering when the students already enrolled had been graduated
• Trustee decision to offer B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering offered

  'The accrediting committee raised serious questions in only one field
• Metallurgical Engineering

  1937: Metallurgical Studies- Degree program began. (Schaffer et al.) Metallurgical studies were deeply rooted in chemistry and individuals educated in this field peaked in decades following WWII. At Lafayette, since the start of the Pardee Scientific Courses of Study, Metallurgical Engineering concepts were deeply embedded in the mining department curriculum. 'Since the 1860
• Industrial engineering program ended

  1972: No major is offered in Industrial Engineering, effective with the Class of 1972 (Course Catalog 1969, 180)
• Establishment of Department of Industrial Engineering

  '...the Board of Trustees created a new, separate Department of Industrial Engineering
• Administrative Engineering changed to Industrial Engineering

  1954: Administrative Engineering was changed to Industrial Engineering. (Schaffer et al.) Industrial Engineering evolved out of the Administrative Engineering program, but classes in Industrial Engineering had been offered separately for some time before Administrative Engineering had changed its name. The reason for this name change occurred because of a general confusion between the two types of engineering, which were used interchangeably by the Department of Labor to describe the same types of jobs. (Phillips and Roberts 2012)
• Administrative/Industrial Engineering

  'In 1922 a new course was added to the engineering side, leading to the degree Bachelor of Science in Administrative Engineering. It was designed to give training for executive positions in manufacturing industries, engineering, salesmanship and the like.' (Skillman, p. 269) Administrative Engineering at Lafayette College came about out of the ashes of WWI when the economy 'demonstrated need for college trained men not only as practicing engineers but also as engineer-oriented executives in general management.' There was a demand for these men to be knowledgeable in such fields as economics, finance, and law. This was evident that by the mid 20th century most engineers were employed by private industry and there was a strong desire for these engineers, who eventually earned managerial positions, to be trained to fill those roles (Reynolds, 1991). The proposal to create an administrative engineering major was first introduced at a Lafayette faculty meeting in 1922 and was adopted almost immediately. The goal was to prepare trained engineers for managerial positions. (Phillips and Roberts 2012)
• Department of Metallurgical Engineering combined with Department of Chemical Engineering

  Department of Metallurgical Engineering combined with Department of Chemical Engineering
• Chemical engineering department established

  1938: Department of Chemical Engineering was established. (Schaffer et al.) '
• Chemical engineering's first graduates

  1919: Chemical Engineering
• Start of courses in Chemical Engineering

  In 1916. '
• Chemical Engineering
• Expansion of Mechanical Engineering to include industry practical training

  In 1916, 'The course in Mechanical Engineering was expanded by giving practical training in the plants of the neighboring industries. A complete cooperative course requiring five years was planned, providing for each student to spend part of his time at work in a plant and part of the time in the regular work of the college curriculum.' (Skillman, Vol. 2, p. 224-5)
• Mechanical Engineering Building Erected

  Mechanical engineering building erected on 'northwestern slope of the college property.' (Gendebien, p. 25-6)
• Andrew Carnegie gift of $100,000 to create course in mechanical engineering

  'Andrew Carnegie
• Mechanical Engineering

  In 1899, the creation of Mechanical Engineering Dept because $100,000 Andrew Carnegie 75 year Endowment pledge if college could raise another $600,000. (Schaffer et al.) The interest in mechanical engineering rose post-Civil War period (from about 1880 to the turn of the century). Mechanical engineering worked to establish pure scientific research, replacing the older scientific methods practiced and the professional society (ASME) found origins going back to the 1880
• Electrical Engineering department name and degree changed to Electrical and Computer Engineering

  1999 - Name change to ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
• The History of Electrical Engineering Education at Lafayette College published

  Smith, Finley W. The History of Electrical Engineering Education at Lafayette College is written by Finley W. Smith and published in 1976. Note: there are four pictures in this pamphlet: Electronics Laboratory, Power Laboratory, Micro-wave Laboratory, Computer Laboratory
• AIEE and IRE joined to form IEEE

  AIEE and IRE joined to form IEEE. (Smith)