Frequently Asked Questions about Purdue History
When was Purdue founded?
How was Purdue founded?
What is the Morrill Act?
What is a land-grant college?
When were the first classes held?
Who was the first woman to graduate from Purdue?
What were the first buildings on campus?
Who are the Presidents of Purdue?
Who was John Purdue and why is he buried on campus?
Does Archives and Special Collections really have John Purdue's death mask?
What was Amelia Earhart's relationship with Purdue?
How many astronauts graduated from Purdue?
Why are Purdue's colors black and gold?
Why are we called Boilermakers?
Who created Purdue's first university seal?
When was Purdue's first commencement?
Who was Purdue's first graduate?
Was the Purdue airport really the first airport operated by a college or university?
Who wrote "Hail Purdue?"
When were the various Purdue schools established?
Purdue University was founded in 1869. However, classes did not start until 1874.
In 1865, the Indiana General Assembly voted to participate in the Morrill Act, which stated that the federal government would turn over public lands to states that would then use the proceeds from their sale to maintain a college teaching agriculture and the “mechanic arts.” On May 6, 1869, the General Assembly came to the decision that a college would be created near Lafayette. Funds amounting to $150,000 were collected for the purpose from John Purdue, Tippecanoe County provided an additional $50,000, and residents in the area gave 100 acres of land. In December 1869, the Board of Trustees officially named the college Purdue University, honoring founding benefactor John Purdue, who was named a member of the board and was given the daunting task of building a new university. In August 1872, the University hired Richard Owen as its first president. Owen resigned in 1874 before classes ever started.
The Morrill Act, also known as the Land-Grant College Act, was introduced by Senator Justin Smith Morrill and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on July 2, 1862. The act specified that each state would receive 300,000 acres of federal land for each state congressional representative, to be sold to provide an endowment for at least one college where the primary objective would be to teach agriculture and the mechanic arts. The land donated to the states was to be sold and the money invested, with the interest generated providing funding to the states for the purpose of financing a land-grant institution.
The Morrill Act, also known as the Land-Grant College Act, was introduced by Senator Justin Smith Morrill and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on July 2, 1862. The act specified that each state would receive 300,000 acres of federal land for each state congressional representative, to be sold to provide an endowment for at least one college where the primary objective would be to teach agriculture and the mechanic arts. The land donated to the states was to be sold and the money invested, with the interest generated providing funding to the states for the purpose of financing a land-grant institution.
When were the first classes held?
Although some preliminary classes had been taught in a short session from March to June 1874, the first official semester of classes opened September 16, 1874. At the time, there were 39 students and six faculty members.
Who was the first woman to graduate from Purdue?
Eulora J. Miller graduated from Purdue in 1878 with a Bachelor of Science degree.
What were the first buildings on campus?
The first buildings on campus were completed by 1874. They included the Boiler and Gas House, the Military Hall and Gymnasium, the Ladies Hall, Purdue Hall, and the Pharmacy Building. None of these original buildings remain today. Today, the oldest standing building on campus is University Hall (formerly known as the Main Building), which was built in 1877.
Who are the Presidents of Purdue?
The Purdue University Presidents include:
1872-1874 Richard Owen, b.1810, d.1890
1874-1875 Abraham C. Shortridge, b. 1833, d. 1919
1875-1876 (Interim President) John S. Houghman, b. 1821, d. 1894
1876-1883 Emerson E. White, b.1829, d.1902
1883-1900 James H. Smart, b.1841, d.1900
1900-1921 Winthrop E. Stone, b.1862, d.1921
1921-1922 (Interim President) Henry W. Marshall, b.1865, d.1951
1922-1945 Edward C. Elliott, b.1874, d.1960
1945 (Interim President) Andrey A. Potter, b.1882, d.1979
1946-1971 Frederick L. Hovde, b.1908, d.1983
1971-1982 Arthur G. Hansen, b.1925
1982-1983 (Interim President) John W. Hicks, b.1921, d. 2002
1983-2000 Steven C. Beering, b.1932
2000-2007 Martin C. Jischke, b. 1941
2007-present France A. Córdova, b. 1947
Who was John Purdue and why is he buried on campus?
John Purdue provided land and funding to establish the university in 1869. He helped search for the specific location for the University and helped make the first purchase of lands. He also personally contracted and supervised construction of the first buildings. In fact, John Purdue was so devoted to and proud of the university he helped build that it was his wish to be permanently buried on campus. When he died in 1876, the University honored his wish, placing Purdue’s grave on Memorial Mall just east of University Hall (which was under construction at the time). John Purdue’s gravesite was restored and rededicated during Gala Week in 1991 with funds donated by the Class of 1946. John Purdue is the only man for whom a Big Ten school is named.
Does Archives and Special Collections really have John Purdue’s death mask?
Yes. John Purdue’s death mask, which was created in plaster by a local dentist, is one of the most unusual and fascinating artifacts in Archives and Special Collections. Researchers may view the mask in Archives and Special Collections upon request.
What was Amelia Earhart’s relationship with Purdue?
In 1935, Purdue President Edward C. Elliott persuaded Amelia Earhart to join the staff of the University as Consultant in the Study of Careers for Women and Technical Advisor in Aviation. From 1935 until her disappearance in 1937, Earhart remained a part-time staff member at Purdue, counseling students, providing group lectures, and encouraging the female students to find careers after graduation. The Purdue Research Foundation helped purchase Earhart’s Lockheed Electra airplane, which she disappeared in during her world flight attempt.
How many astronauts graduated from Purdue?
Purdue earned its nickname as "the cradle of astronauts," by graduating 22 people to date who have been selected for space flight. Some of those astronauts include Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan, the first and last men to walk on the moon, and Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Roger Chaffee, who died in 1967 during a preflight test of Apollo I.
Why are Purdue’s colors black and gold?
In the fall of 1887, it was decided that the football team would achieve more distinction if it sported official school colors. At the time, Princeton was the most successful football team in the country, so J.B. Burris, captain of the first Purdue team, proposed that Purdue adopt Princeton’s colors to quickly gain distinction. Princeton’s orange and black colors were mistaken by some as yellow and black. Purdue team members decided to change the yellow to a more distinguished old gold to go with the black.
Why are we called Boilermakers?
The Purdue football team in 1891 included several boilermakers from the Monon Railroad Shops. The men would enroll in one university course in order to play football, and they beat the competition time and time again. On October 26, 1891, the Purdue football team beat Wabash College 44-0. The Crawfordsville papers printed articles on the game, one of which sported the heading "Wabash Snowed Completely Under by the Boiler Makers from Purdue." Purdue students liked the name, and the Lafayette papers quickly picked it up. By October 1892, writers at the Purdue Exponent were using the name regularly, and Purdue students have been known as Boilermakers ever since.
Who created Purdue’s first university seal?
Purdue’s first seal was created in 1890 by book designer, typographer, and Purdue graduate Bruce Rogers. Four years later, Rogers modified his original design; however, the University never officially adopted either of Rogers' seals. An official University seal was not created until 1895, when the head of the art department Abby Phelps Lytle designed the seal for the University. Lytle's design incorporated the slanted shield, Uncial typeface, and the symbol of the griffin, which represents strength. Each subsequent version of the seal has incorporated these three design elements. In 1905, Lytle's design was modified as part of a student project, and in 1909 Charles H. Benjamin reworked the seal once again. Benjamin's seal was used by the University until 1969 when the current seal was inaugurated. This seal, designed by Al Gowan, assistant professor of creative arts at Purdue, incorporates the use of the griffin and the symbol of the shield (with the three parts representing service, research, and education). The five feathers on the griffin's head represent the five campuses of Purdue. Gowan also retained the use of the Uncial typeface that Lytle used in her seal.
When was Purdue’s first commencement?
Purdue held its first commencement ceremony in May 1875. It was for a class of one, John Harper, a transfer student from Northwestern Christian University.
Who was Purdue’s first graduate?
John Harper, a transfer student from Northwestern Christian University, was the solitary class member in Purdue’s first commencement ceremony of May 1875. Harper was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue.
Was the Purdue airport really the first airport operated by a college or university?
Yes. The Purdue University Airport was created in November 1930, after David Ross donated 360 acres of land southwest of campus to be used as an airstrip. Purdue became the first college in the United States to operate an airport.
Purdue alumni James Morrison (Class of 1915) and Edward Wotawa (Class of 1912) created Purdue’s fight song. Morrison wrote the lyrics in 1912, and Wotawa set them to music. The song was copyrighted in 1913.
When were the various Purdue schools established?
Agriculture, 1874
Consumer and Family Sciences, 1887 (classes began); 1905 (Department of Household Economics created); 1926 ( School of Home Economics created); 1976 (name changed to the School of Consumer and Family Sciences)
Education, 1908; 1989 (named School of Education)
Engineering, 1874; 1879 ( School of Mechanics established); 1882 ( School of Mechanical Engineering founded); 1887 ( School of Civil Engineering officially organized); 1888 (Electrical Engineering organized); 1911 ( School of Chemical Engineering founded); 1945 ( School of Aeronautics and Astronautics founded); 1959 ( School of Materials Engineering founded); 1961 ( School of Industrial Engineering founded); 1975 ( School of Nuclear Engineering founded)
Graduate School, 1922 (graduate study initiated); 1928 (first doctorate degree awarded); 1929 (establishment of Graduate School)
Liberal Arts, 1874 (liberal arts classes offered through School of Science); 1953 (School of Science, Education, and Humanities formed); 1959 (Bachelor of Arts degree provided); 1963 (name changed to the School of Humanities, Social Science, and Education, with the School of Science being separated from it); 1989 (School of Education organized)
Management, 1956 (Department of Industrial Management and Transportation established within the Schools of Engineering); 1958 (department merged with the Department of Economics to create the School of Industrial Management); 1962 (Krannert Graduate School of Industrial Administration became Purdue’s first endowed school)
Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Sciences, 1884 ( School of Pharmacy at Purdue established); 1963 (name changed to School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences); 1964 (Department of Nursing became part of the School of Technology); 1979 ( School of Nursing created within the Schools of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Sciences); 1979 ( School of Health Sciences formed)
Science, 1874; 1907 ( School of Science officially formed); 1953 (name changed to include School of Science, Education, and Humanities); 1963 (name reverted back to School of Science)
Technology, 1964
Veterinary Medicine, 1877 (establishment of a Department of Veterinary Science in the School of Agriculture); 1959 ( School of Veterinary Science and Medicine created); 1974 (renamed School of Veterinary Medicine)
