A Visual History of Purdue University.
President Abraham Lincoln signs the Morrill Act (Land Grant Act).
The Morrill Act granted each state public land, stipulating that the proceeds from the sale of this land were to be invested for use in supporting and maintaining at least one college of agriculture and the mechanical arts.
Ground Breaks on the First Campus Buildings
First buildings included the Boiler and Gas House, the Military Hall and Gymnasium, Ladies Hall, Purdue Hall, and the Pharmacy Building - all completed by 1874. None remain today.
The University hires Richard Owen as its first president.
As campus had not been built yet, Owen never had an official office space. He was well regarded in the fields of geology, chemistry and medicine, and had a solid reputation as a teacher, philosopher, and Civil War soldier. Through his belief in hard work and invention, Owen brought the Morrill Act's idea of an "Indiana Agricultural College" to reality. Owen served as University President for almost two years and resigned two months before classes were scheduled to start.
Abraham C. Shortridge is hired as the second president of Purdue.
President Shortridge instituted a strict code of conduct, which caused conflict between the administration and the students. Students were required to keep their rooms in good order, could not keep firearms in the Dormitory, and could not smoke on campus. Those who lived on campus could not visit Lafayette in the evening without permission and were expressly forbidden to visit establishments that sold intoxicating liquors.
Women are admitted to Purdue for the first time during the fall semester.
Eight women were admitted to the preparatory department, while one student entered the university. One year later, in the fall of 1876, six women were admitted into the university. Those who did not live locally were given rooms in the Boarding House, which became known as Ladies Hall.
Purdue hires its first female faculty member, Sarah Oren, initially holding the title of “female teacher of the university.”
This title was soon rectified when she was appointed as Assistant Professor of Mathematics. In addition to being Indiana’s first woman state librarian and Purdue’s first female faculty member, Oren was also the first faculty member, male or female, to receive a board of trustee’s citation in appreciation of her work for the university.
Eulora Miller Jennings becomes the first woman to graduate from Purdue earning a Bachelor of Science degree.
During her final year at the University, Miller was a founding member of the Purdue Philalethean Literary Society. After graduating, she became Purdue’s second university librarian. In 1887, she achieved yet another first as one of twenty students to enroll in the initial year of Melvil Dewey’s library instruction program at Columbia College (now University) in New York, the first professional librarian training program in the world.
Department Head W. F. M. Goss Establishes the School of Mechanical Engineering.
The same year he established the School of Mechanical Engineering, Gross also started construction of Purdue's first Mechanical Engineering lab in what was then the Pharmacy Building, or "Building No. 2." Research was conducted in this first lab by five undergraduate students on mechanical bench work. Goss went on to become the first dean of the Purdue Schools of Engineering but the Pharmacy Building and his first workshop were demolished in 1959.
The School of Domestic Economy is established.
Under the direction of Emma P. Ewing, this school was open only to young women. Classes dealt with home making, cooking, bread baking, and household management. Numerous practice sessions on topics of baking, cooking, etiquette, and entertaining were embedded within the coursework.
The Agricultural Experiment Station is Founded Using Hatch Act Funds.
The U.S. Hatch Act of 1887 pledged federal funds to establish Agricultural Experiment Stations on land grant campuses. The following year Purdue created its own Experiment Station and expanded the experimental crop testing fields on campus. Undergraduate students conducted studies using this facility and published research in various pamphlets and talks to farmers. The Experiment Station still stands on campus as the Agricultural Administration Building.
The first issue of the student newspaper, The Exponent, is published, with women students playing significant editorial role.
The original student newspaper of the 1870s, The Purdue, had a short life but was revived in the fall of 1882 as a monthly publication. This new Purdue was a combined effort of the Irving, Philalethean, and Carlyle literary societies. The content involved short literary, scientific, and engineering pieces; poems; and campus news from departments, clubs, and literary societies. The publication continued until the spring of 1888, when tensions between the faculty and student staff led to its demise. The Purdue Exponent followed in December, 1889, as a monthly publication. Much like the earlier student news publications, the first issue contained features concerning news, sports, the literary societies, departmental activities, and essays. Agnes Eugenie Vater served as the founding editor, while Helen Golden and Laura Burton took on the roles of exchange editor and local editor, respectively. The Exponent has been a key source in learning about undergraduate research involvement. It became independent of the university in 1965 and is now owned by the not-for-profit Purdue Student Publishing Foundation.
George W. Lacey becomes the first African American graduate of Purdue.
George W. Lacy, or Lacey, completed a degree in pharmacy, becoming the first African American graduate of Purdue. At the time, Pharmacy was an academic organization separate from the university, and as a result, Lacy’s success is sometimes overlooked.
An 85,000 Pound Schenectady No. 1 Locomotive Engine is Purchased.
The University’s connection to the railroad industry was affirmed with the construction of the Engineering Laboratory in 1890-91. Among the many engines, testing machines, and other apparatus was an 85,000-pound Schenectady locomotive. The massive engine was placed inside the new laboratory and mounted on supporting wheels, hence its performance could be studied while the engine was going at various speeds, loads, and conditions. Testing became an integral aspect of university education and undergraduate student research. Later in the decade, that original Schenectady locomotive was replaced by the Schenectady No. 2.
David Robert Lewis of Greensburg, Indiana, completes his Bachelor’s Degree, becoming the first African American graduate of a traditional four-year program at Purdue.
David Robert Lewis completes his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. His senior thesis is entitled, "Highway Road Construction."
Heavilon Hall is rebuilt.
Its new height was inspired by President Smart's "one brick higher" address.
Mrs. Eliza Fowler donates $70,000 to Purdue for the creation of Eliza Fowler Hall.
Her gift was the largest from a private source since John Purdue's death. Eliza Fowler Hall, completed in 1903, seated 1,650 people and contained meeting rooms and administrative offices, including the Office of the President. Eliza’s son, James T. Fowler, provided an additional $5,400 for the installation a pipe organ in the hall.
The Department of Household Economics is established.
The department was established to provide “a technical training for women at Purdue on much the same principles as the courses already offered to men”. Select rooms in Ladies Hall were converted to classrooms to house the new department.
Purdue implements its first student health service.
Dr. Oliver P. Terry, professor of anatomy and physiology, became the campus physician, consulting with hundreds and eventually thousands of students who paid a one dollar yearly fee for access to the service. Beginning in 1915, the student health service offered free medicines and soon more than one thousand prescriptions were filled through the service per year.
Herrick Laboratories are Completed.
Purdue's horse barn was completed in September of 1919. The construction housed breeding animals and work horses used in agricultural research by Purdue students. In 1957 it was renamed Herrick Laboratories and stands on campus today as a mechanical engineering lab.
The Department of Household Economics, established in 1905 expands and becomes the School of Home Economics.
Mary L. Matthews became the first dean of the School, which included five departments: Foods and Nutrition, Clothing and Textiles, Applied Art, Institution Management, and Home Administration. She served as dean until her retirement in 1952, and in 1976, the Home Economics Building was renamed Matthews Hall in her honor. That same year, the School transitioned to the College of Consumer and Family Sciences, significantly increasing enrollment among male students.
Early Graduate in Aeronautical Engineering
Ralph Johnson, one of the nation’s earliest graduates in aeronautical engineering, would later go on to develop safe landing procedures for pilots amidst blackout conditions during WWII and patent several designs that contributed towards air safety.
Sisters Delia Silance and Ella Belle Silance become the first known African American women to graduate from Purdue, earning Bachelor of Science degrees.
Both women were listed as Distinguished Students in the 1932 Debris yearbook, under their senior photos. The sisters were from Lafayette and Delia earned a scholarship to attend Purdue.
South Hall, now known as Duhme Hall, is finished.
Duhme Hall was the first of the buildings which make up Windsor Halls to be completed. The remaining four were completed over the next two decades. Shealy Hall, originally North Hall, was finished in 1937, followed by Wood Hall in 1939, and finally Warren Hall and Vawter Hall in 1951. Winsdor is Purdue's oldest women's residence and has housed many distinguished Purdue women including Amelia Earhart, Dr. Lillian Gilbreth, and most recently astronaut Janice Voss.
Two distinguished women, aviator Amelia Earhart and industrial engineer Lillian Gilbreth, join the staff of the University.
Interested in helping to address the demands of the growing female student population, President Elliott hired two women with international reputations in 1935: Amelia Earhart and Lillian Gilbreth. Elliott believed that the professional achievements of Earhart and Gilbreth would serve as role models for women students in seeking careers following graduation. Earhart, a widely recognized pilot who encouraged women to fly, was hired to serve a dual role as technical adviser in aeronautics and as careers counselor for women students. Gilbreth, a pioneer in motion study alongside her husband and business partner, Frank, was a highly respected leader in the traditionally male professions of engineering and industry.
The Purdue Research Foundation establishes the Amelia Earhart Fund for Aeronautical Research to purchase Amelia Earhart's "flying laboratory", a Lockheed Electra 10E airplane specially equipped for her long-distance flights.
This plane was intended to support aviation research and Earhart’s dream of a world flight at the longest distance—the equator. In May 1936, Purdue Alumnus proudly announced: “Lockheed-Electra, twin motored, all metal monoplane, sister ship of Purdue’s newest ‘sky laboratory’ will do much to further aviation and aeronautical research and will carry Purdue’s fame all over the world.”
Amelia Earhart disappears over the Pacific Ocean, en route to Howland Island during her world flight.
Neither she, her airplane, nor her navigator, Fred Noonan, are ever seen again.
In response to the growing number of women students, Purdue begins an experimental liberal science education program for women.
The goal of the program was, “to train select groups of young women for intelligent leadership in whatever communities, large or small, urban or rural, they may be placed after college.” The intent of the experiment was to create a plan of study that accentuated math and science courses as a subject of inquiry and knowledge, rather than as the foundation of technical or vocational training. This approach provided an alternative path for women interested in pursuing an education in traditionally male dominated departments like engineering or agriculture as well as newer courses situated in the social sciences and humanities. One alumna recalled, “while statistics said that somewhere around 95% of us would marry and stay home to rear our children, the Liberal Science environment told us we were valuable citizens and just as important to society as any man on the engineering campus.”
Baton twirler Juanita Carpenter becomes the first "Golden Girl" to perform with the marching band during a football game against Missouri in Ross-Ade Stadium.
After two years, Juanita passed her baton on to Sandie Hutchinson and the featured performer became a permanent fixture of Marching Band performances.
The Purdue chapter of the Society of Women Engineers is formed, the first student chapter to join the national organization.
The group at Purdue originally formed in 1946 as the Gamma chapter of Pi Omicron, a professional society for women in engineering, to support scholarship, fellowship, and professional development. By joining the national organization, their network of support expanded across the country, providing new opportunities for the women joining the still male-dominated field.
Helen Bass Williams becomes the first African American professor at Purdue University.
Williams taught French in the Languages Department and was a counselor in the School of Humanities, Social Science, and Education. She was active in the Civil Rights Movement and was an important guiding figure for many black students at Purdue. Williams was involved in the establishment of the Black Cultural Center, Black Faculty and Staff Council, the Black Studies program, and other curricular and extracurricular groups.
Title IX federal regulations are passed to enhance support for women’s intercollegiate athletics.
Purdue soon had one of the best women’s college volleyball teams in the nation.
The name of the School of Home Economics is changed to the School of Consumer and Family Sciences.
Student Experiments are Sent into Space on the Space Shuttle Challenger VII.
Three undergraduate student projects were sent into space on the Challenger VII space shuttle in 1983. Of the three projects, one studied the gravity needed to make roots grow downwards. A second project studied the behavior of cosmic ray particles outside of the earth's atmosphere while the third studied the behavior of liquid in zero gravity. The projects did not belong to any single undergraduate researcher and had been worked on by roughly 100 students from 1978-1983.
Purdue's Bell Tower is completed, standing 165 feet tall.
The Bell Tower replaced a smoke stack from the Purdue power plant which was demolished in 1992. The bells from the old Heavilon Hall building were used in the construction of the Purdue Bell Tower, which plays Purdue's fight songs and the alma mater at various times during the day. Most undergraduates avoid walking directly underneath the tower, as it is said that those who do so will not graduate in four years.
Purdue students Lauren Nicholson and Jackie Battipaglia won the Air Race Classic, an all-female cross-country airplane race.
The women's basketball team becomes the first Purdue athletics team to win a national championship since men's golf in 1961.
Two years after winning the national championship, the Purdue Women’s basketball team again reaches the Final Four and title game.
Playing in-state rivals Notre Dame, star Katie Douglas and the Boilermakers eventually fell 68-66. It was a disappointing end to a tremendous season. Throughout the remainder of the decade, the team continued its success, winning multiple Big Ten titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. Following the loss to Notre Dame, events near campus made news of their own. Students rioted, burning couches and breaking windows, and caused an estimated $100,000 in damages. Eventually, tear gas was used to disperse the crowds. In the following days, police and the university sought out the perpetrators.
Purdue hosts the 2005 Air Race Classic, a cross-country air race for women.
Several Purdue alumni win medals during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Alumna Amanda Elmore won a gold in rowing for the United States women’s eight-person team. Elmore became the first female Purdue Olympian to win a gold and the fifth Boilermaker to win an Olympic gold medal. The men's synchronized diving team of David Boudia and Steele Johnson, both Purdue alumni, won silver medals. At the time of the 2016 Olympics, Johnson was an undergraduate at the University.
Dedication of Animal Sciences Complex
Opening of Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences and Land O'Lakes Center for Experiential Learning. The $60 million Animal Sciences Complex boosts the university's commitment to Indiana's vital animal production industry. https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q1/purdue-celebrates-dedication-of-new-animal-sciences-complex.html
Purdue University creates Purdue Global
Purdue Global was created from Purdue University’s acquisition and rebranding of the former private for-profit Kaplan University. As a public online university, Purdue University Global programs focus on career-oriented fields of study at all levels of higher education. https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q1/transaction-complete-for-purdue-global.html
USAID awards Purdue $70 million for Partners for University Led Solutions Engine (PULSE)
To support the United States Agency for International Development as it navigates developmental challenges in lower-middle income countries, Purdue will lead a multi-university consortium devising evidence-based solutions. USAID will support PULSE as a Long-Term Assistance and Services for Research (LASER) center with an up to $70 million cooperative agreement over the course of five years. https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q3/usaid-selects-purdue-led-center-to-research-worldwide-challenges.html
Purdue students shatter Guinness World Records
Boiler Gold Rush students shatter Guinness World Record for most train whistles blowing at the same time.
Sesquicentennial Celebration: "150 Years of Giant Leaps"
Dedication of "The Forge" building and sculpture celebrates the role of traditional Boilermakers and helps to kick of Purdue's 150th celebration. https://takegiantleaps.com https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q3/the-forge-statue-commemorates-boilermakers-of-past,-future.html
"Giant Leaps" Master Plan
A new Campus Master Plan was approved, focusing on connectivity, collaboration, vibrancy, sustainability, and flexibility. https://www.purdue.edu/physicalfacilities/units/cpas/campus-planning/master-plans/index.html
Purdue’s Black Cultural Center kicks off ‘50 Years of Unlocking Excellence’
Black Cultural Center celebrated its 50th anniversary with a cultural arts festival, a Jubilee Gala, and the Black Family Reunion. https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2019/Q1/purdues-black-cultural-center-kicks-off-50-years-of-unlocking-excellence.html
Candlelight vigil held to honor the life of Tyler Trent
Tyler Trent inspired the nation throughout his courageous battle with cancer. The 20-year-old Purdue student from Carmel, Indiana, who suffered from a rare form of bone cancer, died January 1, 2019 after a five-year battle with the disease. During his time at Purdue, Trent was an eager student, a tireless advocate for giving and an inspiration to many. The Tyler Trent Cancer Research Endowment was created in his honor to fund efforts at the Purdue Center for Cancer Research (PCCR). https://www.purdue.edu/cancer-research/research/support-our-research/tyler-trent-cancer-research-endowment.php