WPI Historical Overview

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WPI Historical Overview

• Margaret Anderson, WPI Assistant Archivist
• Julie Hitchcock, ME 2010,
• Student Alumni Society Chair

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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
Ichabod Washburn
John Boynton
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Deed of land from Stephen Salisbury
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Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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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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Notable WPI Alumni
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Theo Brown

• Graduated in 1901
• Head of Experimental Department at Deere Co.
• Diary collection available at
• http//theo.wpi.edu/

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Robert H. Goddard

• Graduated 1908
• Launched first liquid-fueled rocket March
  16, 1926
• Father of Modern Rocketry

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Harold S. Black

• 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

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Lesley Small

• WPIs first undergraduate woman to graduate
• Class of 1972 BS in Mathematics
• Original Ratio 741

Jayne Rosetti and Leslie Small
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Atwater Kent

• Dropped out of WPI twice
• Became a prominent radio manufacturer
• Patented modern automobile ignition coil in 1921
• WPI building named after him

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Dean Kamen

• Dropped out of WPI
• Founded AutoSyringe, Inc. and DEKA Research and
  Development Corp.
• Co-founder of FIRST Robotics
• DEKA developed the IBOT and Segway

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Celebration of Traditions and History
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Orientation activities

• Scavenger Hunt
• First hands-on experience with WPI history
• Bridge Crossing
• Tech Bibles and Beanies

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Freshmen-Sophomore Rivalry

• 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

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Founders Day

• 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