WPI Historical Overview

Margaret Anderson, WPI Assistant ArchivistJulie Hitchcock, ME 2010,

Student Alumni Society Chair

In the beginning…

• WPI was founded in 1865• Purpose: Educate young men to work in the industries

of Worcester County• Founders – John Boynton and Ichabod Washburn• Boynton Hall designed by Stephen Earle • Washburn Shops designed by Elbridge Boyden & Son• Original landscape designed by Calvert Vaux,

associate of Frederick Law Olmstead• Motto – “Lehr and Kunst” – Theory and Practice

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Early Campus View

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Founders

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John Boynton Ichabod Washburn

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Deed of land from Stephen Salisbury

Boynton Hall

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Washburn Shops

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Historical Timeline

• 1865 – WPI founded• 1868 – School Opens; Dr. Thompson is President• 1871 – First Class Graduates• 1915 – WPI celebrates its 50th anniversary;

corner stone for Alumni Gym set; Dr. Booker T. Washington in attendance

• 1940 – Earle Bridge links original campus to expanded campus and Alden Memorial Auditorium

• 1941-1945 – World War II and V-12 Program

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Historical Timeline, Contd.

• 1968 – First Women Students• 1971 – WPI Plan Implemented• 1972 – First Degrees in fields outside science and

engineering: Economics, Business Management, Humanities

• 1974 – Opening of Washington Project Center• 1980s-present – Expansion of Global Project Program• 2007 – Opening of Gateway Park

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Graduated in 1901 Head of Experimental Department at

Deere & Co. Diary collection available at

http://theo.wpi.edu/

Graduated 1908 Launched first liquid-fueled rocket

March 16, 1926 Father of Modern Rocketry

Graduated in 1921 Developed Negative-Feedback Amplifier

in 1927 and stabilized it in 1934 Amplifier has a wide application thus

considered one of most useful breakthroughs in electronics during 20th century

WPI’s first undergraduate woman to graduate

Class of 1972; BS in Mathematics Original Ratio 74:1

Jayne Rosetti and Leslie Small

Dropped out of WPI twice Became a prominent radio manufacturer Patented modern automobile ignition

coil in 1921 WPI building named after him

Dropped out of WPI Founded AutoSyringe, Inc. and DEKA

Research and Development Corp. Co-founder of FIRST Robotics DEKA developed the IBOT and Segway

Scavenger HuntFirst hands-on experience with WPI history

Bridge CrossingTech Bibles and Beanies

Trophy and Rivalry started with Class of 1893

Named after Gompei Kuwada (initials were GK for “goat keeper”)

Five events during the year: Rope Pull, Celebrity Squares, Eskimo Relay, Traditions Day, Junior-Senior Mystery Event

Celebrates first day of classes November 11, 1868

Highlight one of nine founders each year Hand out t-shirts Goat petting at the fountain Celebrity Squares rivalry event