Engineering History (2)

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  • In 1902, Old South College was renovated and a laboratory was installed for the mining engineering department. (Schaffer et al.)
  • In 1873, Pardee was dedicated and the mining department was assigned space in the new building. (Schaffer et al.)
  • In 1866, Lafayette establised a mining curriculum and the program continued until 1957. (Schaffer et al.) In the 1860
  • 1993-1994 Name of the department changed from Department of Civil Engineering to Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Course Catalog 1993, 59)
  • Rockwell brought the departmental offerings up-to-date by adding in the senior year courses in the economics of engineering, in industrial building construction, and, with the construction of the Empire State Building as an argument, in
  • Another gift was a fund of $100,000 endowing the chair of Civil Engineering in memory of Simon Cameron Long,
  • Around 1900, 'Laboratory practice and experimentation as part of instruction in the sciences were greatly increased in accordance with the educational policy of President Warfield. This was done not only in the departments of Chemistry and Biology, which now had new laboratories, but in Physics and Electrical Engineering, where the laboratory work heretofore had been greatly limited. The course in Civil Engineering, where the laboratory work had been more emphasized ever since the advent of Professor Porter, was now augmented by the introduction of field surveying through three weeks of the summer, immediately after Commencement.' (Skillman, Vol. 2, p. 154)
  • In 1889 the Legislature of Pennsylvania passed a law requiring every county in the state to appoint a road-master to supervise the construction of roads within the county. Very few counties had citizens with any knowledge of this practical science. Through the initiative of Professor James M. Porter, Lafayette offered a course in Highway Construction in the second and third terms of each year. Free tuition was offered to one applicant from each county in the State, having a common-school education and recommended by the Superintendent of Schools of his county.' (Skillman, Vol. 2, p. 62-63)
  • Annual construction of bridge between Pardee Hall and the observatory begins
  • In 1890, the 'election of James Madison Porter, grandson of the famed Judge Porter, to the Adjunct Professorship of Civil Engineering
  • 1871- First degrees in BS (Civil Engineering)
  • Henry F. Walling was appointed to 'the Chair of Civil Engineering' A civil engineer of reputation
  • In 1866, Civil engineering classes become part of curriculum. 'Although Lafayette first investigated Civil Engineering in the 1840
  • The creation of the AB/BS 5-year program in Engineering and International Studies. (Motion of the Curriculum Committee)
  • A report on engineering education at Lafayette was written by Robert S. Chase, Jr., Dean of the College, Revised 10/14/76. 'The decision to study engineering education at Lafayette occurred because of elements in the Long-Range Plan. As a prelude to developing a program for the College for the next ten years, the Academic Council of the faculty studied the cost and benefits of the several degree programs. A number of these curricula were shown to have costs per student well in excess of the all-college average, but there were factors which caused engineering to receive special attention' : enrollments had dropped from 581 in 1968-69 to 363 in 1972-73; accreditation 'has the effect of setting, or at the very least influencing, minimum staff levels and, therefore, minimum fixed costs for a specific program'; a number of retirements within the engineering faculty were anticipated; metallurgy, with three faculty members was anticipating one retirement in 1982 and two in 1986; consideration of 'the deletion of the Department of Metallurgical Engineering'; the report in response to the Board
  • In 1972, 'Due to unfavorable economic conditions and increasing student pressure, all the engineering programs at Lafayette were reduced to a uniform 36 course curriculum. The requirements for graduation for the A.B. and the B.S. degrees were identical.' (Smith, p. 57)
  • Lafayette offers a summer program (June 25-28) for recruiting: 'Students will participate in a 3-day program with practicing engineers from industry, engineering professors and students, and high school math and science teachers.' A fee of $45 was charged.
  • In 1970-71 a new course was offered, 'Introduction of a course in engineering concepts, The Foundations of Engineering It was to be required of all freshman engineering students and open to all other students with no prerequisites. The course description read: Mathematical content is based on high school algebra. Main topics: the nature and roles of engineering; the engineer
  • '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.' (Gendebien, p. 413)
  • In 1964, 'A new course in fundamentals of engineering was now required of all freshmen in the engineering programs, and course in computer science were introduced.' (Gendebien, p. 452)
  • In 1964, 'A new course in fundamentals of engineering was now required of all freshmen in the engineering programs, and course in computer science were introduced.' (Gendebien, p. 452)
  • In 1963, graphics was eliminated as a separate course and became part of the fundamentals of engineering course (from Two Hundred Years of Life in Schaffer, Norman G., Alfred Pierce, and Samuel. Two Hundred Years of Life in Northampton Country, PA. Easton: Northampton Country Bicentennial Commission, 1976.)
  • In 1960, Professor Slantz retired (he had been director of engineering). Professor William G. McLean was named the next director. (Gendebien, p. 435)