The University of Washington, Board of Regents encouraged the addition of applied science classes in 1893, which formed the original foundation for the College of Engineering. The School of Mines was authorized by the Board that same year. An engineering curricula was published in the University catalog between 1894 and 1898; however, no instructors were listed. While both a College of Engineering and College of Mines and Mining were listed in catalogs, courses in mining engineering and metallurgical chemistry, or in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering were included among the College of Literature, Science, and Liberal Arts. In 1898, the Board appointed two faculty members to head the two programs; Dorsey A. Lyon in the School of Mines, and Almon H. Fuller in the College of Engineering.
A year later, Fuller was named the first Dean of the College of Engineering and he formally established the Department of Civil Engineering. With the arrival of additional faculty members in the next decade, Departments of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering were created within the College. In 1900, the first student completed coursework for a mining engineering degree in the School of Mines and the first B.S. degree was granted the following year by the Civil Engineering Department. The first B.S. was awarded in Electrical Engineering in 1902 and the Department of Mechanical Engineering graduated its first students in 1906. Chemical Engineering was the fifth degree program to grant a bachelor's degree in 1907.
The College has continued to expand and currently consists of ten academic departments: Aeronautics & Astronautics, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Techincal Communication. The College serves approximately 5,000 pre-engineering, undergraduate, and graduate students. A faculty of over 200 members and an annual budget of 137 million (70 million in federal research grants and contracts) support the College's academic mission to maintain the highest levels of excellence in higher education, to address the world's most pressing issues through research, to contribute to the economic vitality of the region and beyond, and to launch careers of first-rate, 21st century engineers and leaders who are ready to make immediate, positive contributions to society.
Organized into 24 accessions.
Historical features, correspondence, annual reports, minutes, committee files, planning files, project files, budget files, course files, proposals, surveys, subject files, log books, handbook, bulletins, publications, clippings, blueprints, scrapbook, photographs, glass slides, and films.
Open to all users, but access to portions of the papers restricted. Contact repository for details.
Some material stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
Public Records (Use unrestricted when access is granted).
Processing levels vary. Contact the repository for details.
The UW College of Engineering website has been regularly captured by
the Internet Archive Wayback Machine since 2014. The snapshots can be viewed
here:
This accession consists of complete sets (to 1971, or last date of publication in some instances) of "The Trend in Engineering", University of Washington, Engineering Experiment Station "Reports", "Technical Notes", and "Bulletins".
Project files include manuscript drafts, notes, department reports, and other research materials compiled during the creation of "A Century of Educating Engineers: University of Washington, College of Engineering, 1893-1894 to 1993-1994." A majority of the departmental histories were based on unfinished manuscripts written by Arthur Kramer during the 1980's. Professor Myron L. White served as the editor for the final publication.
Box 1: Proposals Completed (1967-1969); Box 2: Proposals Completed (1969-1970); Box 3: Proposals Denied (1967-1969); Box 4: Proposals Denied (1969-1970).
Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
ECSEL (Engineering Coalition of Schools for Excellence in Education and Leadership) program records represent a small but significant subgroup within this accession.
Closed until processed. Contains personnel information and student information
Records stored offsite. Advance notice required for use.