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Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six campuses within the Purdue University System, one of the largest university systems in the United States. Purdue University has a long established reputation as one of America's top engineering universities, with an especially impressive record in aeronautical and astronautical engineering achievements. Purdue engineering alumni play leadership roles in many aerospace engineering organizations.
Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869 as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and money from Lafayette businessman John Purdue to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture in his name. The first classes were held on September 16, 1874, with three buildings, six instructors, and 39 students.
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Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six campuses within the Purdue University System, one of the largest university systems in the United States. Purdue University has a long established reputation as one of America's top engineering universities, with an especially impressive record in aeronautical and astronautical engineering achievements. Purdue engineering alumni play leadership roles in many aerospace engineering organizations.
Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869 as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and money from Lafayette businessman John Purdue to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture in his name. The first classes were held on September 16, 1874, with three buildings, six instructors, and 39 students. Today, Purdue enrolls the largest student body of any university in Indiana and the largest international student population of any public university in the United States.
In 2005, Purdue reorganized its academic units into its present configuration of eight colleges and fourteen schools, containing both undergraduate and graduate programs in over 200 major areas of study. Of these, the Purdue University College of Engineering, the Krannert School of Management, and Purdue's pharmacy school offer a number of programs that are consistently rated among the best in the United States. Purdue has long been influential in America's history of aviation, having established the first college credit offered in flight training, the first four-year bachelor's degree in aviation, and the first university airport. In the mid-20th century, Purdue's aviation program would expand to encompass advanced spaceflight technology, epitomized by its top-ranked School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and its #1 ranked Purdue University College of Technology. Twenty-two American astronauts are graduates of Purdue, including the first person to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, and the last, Eugene Cernan, and the second American to fly in space, Gus Grissom, giving rise to Purdue's nickname, Cradle of Astronauts.
Purdue has devoted a significant portion of its endowment to research activities in recent years, particularly in emerging high technology fields related to biology and bioengineering. Its $350 million, interdisciplinary Discovery Park comprises 1,000 affiliated faculty, ten buildings, and research areas as diverse as entrepreneurship and nanotechnology, earning a top-ten distinction for the latter. The Purdue Research Park, recognized as the best university science park in 2004, houses over 140 businesses and startup companies endeavoring to commercialize the results of this research.
History
Founding and early years
On July 2, 1862, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act into law, which offered public lands to any state that would establish and maintain a college for the purpose of teaching agriculture and mechanics. In 1865, the Indiana General Assembly took advantage of this offer, and began plans to establish such an institution. John Purdue, a Lafayette business leader and philanthropist (buried at Purdue), sought to help establish a "land grant" college in Indiana. The state of Indiana received a gift of $150,000 from John Purdue, along with $50,000 from Tippecanoe County, and 150 acres (0.6 km˛) of land from Lafayette residents in support of the project. On May 6, 1869, it was decided that the college would be founded near the city of Lafayette and legislators established the institution as Purdue University, in the name of the institution’s principal benefactor.
Classes first began at Purdue on September 16, 1874 with three buildings, six instructors, and 39 students. Purdue issued its first degree, a Bachelor of Science in chemistry, in 1875. The first female students were admitted to the university in the fall of the same year. In his inaugural address Purdue's third President Emerson E. White set forth his vision that within its field Purdue must lead, not follow. By 1883 enrollment had increased beyond 350, and by the turn of the 20th century Purdue had begun a period of active expansion: scholarship standards were raised, courses were expanded, and equipment was improved.
The 20th century & AviationOne of the most interesting and unique things Purdue has to offer, as well as being well known for, is its diverse majors in aerospace. Purdue University is one of the highest rated aeronautical universities in the world, even ranking up with the United States Air Force Academy, a military-backed institution. Although the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics was not formally established until 1945, Purdue and the greater Lafayette community have a long history in the field of aviation. It was the first university in America to award a four-year bachelor's degree in aviation. Since the earliest days of the University, students, faculty, and staff have played major, and often instrumental, roles in the history of aerospace. Purdue takes pride in the fact that it was the first school in the country to offer majors in aviation, something that countless schools offer today. Purdue is also recognized today as the #1 flight school in the nation.
In 1910, Dr. Cicero Veal, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue, organized the Purdue Aero Club. In the summer of 1911 the club hosted Aviation Day, the Lafayette community's first aircraft demonstration. The event, sponsored by Purdue alumni, attracted an estimated 17,000 onlookers and enthusiasts, and was the first of many such exhibitions at Purdue.
J. Clifford Turpin, from the class of 1908, was the first Purdue graduate to become an aviator, and received flight instruction from Orville Wright himself. In 1919 George W. Haskins became the first alumnus to land an aircraft on campus. He arrived from Dayton, Ohio with a proposal to establish a School of Aviation Engineering at Purdue. Although it would be several years before a separate school would be established, Purdue did begin offering technical electives in aeronautical engineering within the School of Mechanical Engineering in 1921.
In 1930 Purdue became the first university in the country to offer college credit for flight training, and later became the first to open its own airport. Famed aviator Amelia Earhart came to Purdue in 1935 and served as a "Counselor on Careers for Women," a staff position she held until her disappearance in 1937. Purdue played a meaningful role in Earhart's ill-fated "Flying Laboratory" project, providing funds for the Lockheed L-10 Electra aircraft she intended to fly around the world. Purdue libraries maintain an extensive Earhart collection, which is still studied by those seeking to solve the mystery of her disappearance.
As a result of the expansion in technical education prompted by World War II, the aeronautical engineering electives in mechanical engineering were expanded to create a full four-year degree program in 1941 within the newly-rechristened School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering. Later, other training programs for the war were introduced that eventually lead to the formation of an independent School of Aeronautics in 1945. The school initially offered undergraduate degrees in both aeronautical engineering and the new field of air transportation, and issued its first graduate degrees in 1947. The programs were popular among returning veterans in the years following World War II, bringing total undergraduate enrollment to 736 students. The school adopted its present name in 1973.
Today, Purdue University's Aviation Flight Technology Program is one of the best nationwide. Annually, only 60 students are admitted into this exclusive and selective program. On top of training in basic single and multi-engine aircraft, all Flight students fly Beechcraft Super King Air aircraft and some will also have the opportunity to fly a Hawker 400 Beechjet carrying VIPs across the nation. No other University has a corporate flight department built into the University to provide private aircraft for faculty and staff. Together with Southern Illinois University, University of North Dakota, Western Michigan University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, these five universities are world leaders in providing flight training.
Purdue is also one out of fourteen secondary-level education institutions in the United States that participates in the Federal Aviation Administration's CTI (Collegiate Training Initiative) program. Graduates of Purdue's CTI program are recommended to join the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic controller workforce.
Over the past ten years, Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics has awarded more aerospace engineering degrees than any other institution in the country, issuing 6% of all undergraduate degrees and 7% of all Ph.D. degrees.
Campus
Engineering Mall
The Engineering Mall is the main, central quad area of Purdue University.
The three most prominent features of the Engineering Mall are the Purdue Bell Tower, the Engineering Fountain, and the Frederick L. Hovde Hall of Administration.
Bell Tower
The Purdue Bell Tower was constructed in 1995, at Purdue University, through a gift from the class of 1948. It is considered an icon of the university and can be found on many Purdue logos and those of the cities of West Lafayette, Indiana and Lafayette, Indiana.
The current Bell Tower's inspiration comes from the bell tower that was part of the old Heavilon Hall, demolished in 1956. The new tower stands 160 feet tall, and like the original, has a clock on each of four faces. The bells from the original tower hang at the top of the current tower, and a computerized carillon now marks every half hour and also plays Purdue's fight songs and the alma mater. There is also a time capsule located at the base of the tower that is to be opened in 2095.
Engineering Fountain
The Engineering Fountain is centrally located in the Engineering Mall at Purdue University. Designed by Robert Youngman, the fountain was a gift from the class of 1939. The fountain was dedicated in 1989.
The fountain stands 38 feet tall and is made of 228 tons of concrete. It jets 588 gallons of water per minute into the air. Colored lights illuminate the water during the evening.
Originally built with an open jet shooting straight up into the air, students soon made the tradition of running through the fountain on warm days. Due to potential injuries, the University placed a mirrored cylinder around the jet.
Loeb Fountain
Loeb Fountain was constructed in the summer of 1959 in front of Hovde Hall. Funding for the fountain was from donations from Bert E. and June Loeb. An inscription on the fountain reads, "To honor Solomen Loeb, pioneer local merchant, by Bert E. and June Loeb Foundation." It is made of granite with 53 red, yellow, and blue lights in three circles. The fountain is now located near Beering Hall.
The fountain is surrounded by chess tables, some of which are misaligned by ninety degrees rotation.
Centennial Marker The Purdue Centennial Marker is located in front of the Materials Science and Electrical Engineering Building along Northwestern Avenue. It was dedicated in 1969 during the Purdue Centennial Celebration and displays the crest of Purdue. This crest, called the Purdue Seal, was specially designed for the centennial and had its origins on April 14, 1967, when the University awarded a grant to Al Gowen, assistant professor in the new Department of Creative Arts, for the research and development of the new crest. Beneath the marker supporting this new seal, a sealed copper box was buried under nearly a foot of concrete. Within this box are Purdue artifacts from 1969, including a letter from Purdue's President Hovde to the University president.
Memorial MallThe Purdue Memorial Mall is located south of the Engineering Mall and is generally considered the older part of campus. A popular meeting place for students, the Memorial Mall contains the Stewart Student Center, University Hall (the oldest building on campus), and John Purdue's gravesite.
University Hall
University Hall is the only building remaining from the original six-building campus. Construction began in 1871, where the building was known as "The Main Building". In 1874, the construction site was moved from the original location (where Smith Hall currently stands), to just north of that. The building was dedicated in 1877 and the project cost $35,000 to complete. University Hall originally housed the office of the president, a chapel, and classrooms, but was remodeled in 1961 to house only the department of history.
At the request of John Purdue, he was buried in the Memorial Mall, directly across from the main entrance of University Hall.
Cary Quadrangle
First known as Cary Hall, Cary Quadrangle opened in 1928 as a men's dormitory, a function it has maintained ever since. The facility was funded with donations by Franklin Masten Cary, a local philanthropist, and named in honor of his son, Franklin Levering Cary, who died in 1912 at the age of 19.
As the University grew, so did the need for housing. Cary Quadrangle now has five buildings (south, east, west, northeast, and northwest), surrounding the open courtyard, known as Spitzer Court. In addition, the south building contains the Cary Knight Spot Grill, which re-opened at the beginning of the 2006–2007 academic year after extensive renovations.
Considered the "flagship" of Purdue University residences, Cary Quadrangle is still one of the largest all-male housing units in the country. In 2000, Cary Quadrangle began a $43.5 Million renovation plan.
Cary Quad was the location of the annual Nude Olympics at Purdue. The tradition died down after the University began threatening with expulsion any students who ran. Contestants would run laps around the courtyard of Cary in the nude on one of the coldest nights of the year, and the one that could last the longest would be declared the winner.
Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music
The Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music is located on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. With a seating capacity of 6,025, it is one of the largest proscenium theaters in the world. The facility is named after Edward C. Elliott (1874-1960), who served as President of Purdue University from 1922-1945.
Slayter Center of Performing ArtsThe Slayter Center of Performing Arts is an outdoor concert bandshell located on the main campus of Purdue University, completed in 1964 and dedicated May 1, 1965. The facility was a gift from Games Slayter and his wife Marie.
The natural amphitheater created by "Slayter Hill" can hold an estimated 20,000 people. Architect Joseph Baker used Stonehenge in England as a basis for the concept of Slayter Center. The 200-ton concrete roof is suspended from a tall steel tripod by stainless steel cables. The stage can seat a 100+ player orchestra. Below the stage are a rehearsal room, dressing rooms and storage facilities. "Slayter Hill" is also more popularly used in the winter time as a large sledding hill for students when it snows.
Mackey Arena
Mackey Arena is a 14,123-seat multi-purpose arena in West Lafayette, Indiana. The arena opened in 1967. It is home to the Purdue Boilermakers basketball team. It is named after Purdue alumnus and long time athletic director Guy "Red" Mackey.
Ross-Ade StadiumRoss-Ade Stadium is a stadium primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Purdue Boilermakers. The stadium is named for David E. Ross and George Ade, the principal benefactors.
Ross-Ade Stadium opened on November 22, 1924 with a seating capacity of 13,500 and standing room for an additional 5,000 people. A series of additions and renovations pushed the seating capacity to 70,000. In 2001 Purdue began a massive $70 million dollar renovation, which led to a reduced seating capacity of 62,500.
Black Cultural CenterFormed in 1964 as a place for black students at Purdue University to meet, bond and study in a group setting, the Black Cultural Center has grown to many times its original size and mission. Today, the BCC is a place for African American students to learn their heritage, and also a place that provides cross-cultural exchanges and cultural diversity for the entire campus and the surrounding community.
The BCC houses a library and a computer lab. It sponsors several performing arts ensembles, including the Black Voices of Inspiration, Haraka Writers, Jahari Dance Troupe, and New Directional Players. These groups are led by professional artists-in-residence.
AcademicsPurdue is organized into eight colleges and fourteen schools. Twelve of these schools are contained within larger colleges; the two exceptions are the Krannert School of Management and the School of Veterinary Medicine. These two academic units retained their "school" status during a university-wide renaming policy in 2004 and 2005 in deference to national professional school naming conventions.
Colleges
Schools
An * indicates a school existing independently of a larger college.
AdministrationPresident France A. Córdova, appointed by the Board of Trustees on May 7, 2007, is the chief administrative officer of the university. She is responsible for organizing and establishing the administrative staff of the university not otherwise established by the trustees, and delegating to each administrative office with appropriate duties and responsibilities. The office of the president oversees admission and registration, student conduct and counseling, the administration and scheduling of classes and space, the administration of student athletics and organized extracurricular activities, the libraries, the appointment of the faculty and conditions of their employment, the appointment of all non-faculty employees and the conditions of employment, the general organization of the university, and the planning and administration of the university budget.
The Board of Trustees directly appoints other major officers of the university including a Provost who serves as the chief academic officer for the university, a number of vice presidents with oversight over specific university operations, and the satellite campus chancellors.
Martin C. Jischke stepped down as University President on June 30, 2007. Jischke's 2006 salary of $480,950 and $400,000 bonus resulted in a $880,950 compensation package, surpassed among United States public university presidents only by David Roselle of the University of Delaware.
Board of trusteesWhen Purdue University was established in 1869, the Indiana General Assembly created a Board of Trustees having, by law, full governance and control of the university. The laws of the state of Indiana require that the trustees: provide a seal, have power to appoint and remove all professors and teachers, regulate faculty and staff compensations, do anything necessary and expedient to put and keep the university in operation, and make all bylaws, rules, and regulations necessary to conduct and manage the university. The authority and responsibility of the Board of Trustees can be changed only by legislative acts of the Indiana General Assembly. The Board of Trustees consists of ten members (including one student of the university), as appointed by the governor of Indiana. Each member serves for a term of three years, except the student member who serves for two years. Current board members as of January 2007 include:
- J. Timothy McGinley, Chairman, of Indianapolis, Indiana
- John D. Hardin, Vice Chairman, of Danville, Indiana
- Michael J. Birck, of Hinsdale, Illinois
- Susan Bulkeley Butler, of Tucson, Arizona
- Jill L. Steiner, of Berne, Indiana
- Barbara H. Edmondson, of Clayton, Indiana
- William Oesterle, of Indianapolis, Indiana
- Robert E. Peterson, of Rochester, Indiana
- Mamon M. Powers, of Gary, Indiana
- Thomas Spurgeon, of Peoria, Illinois
- Mark W. Townsend, of Hartford City, Indiana
Presidents
- Richard Owen, 1872-1874
- Abraham C. Shortridge, 1874-1875
- John S. Hougham, acting president, 1876
- Emerson E. White, 1876-1883
- James Henry Smart, 1883-1900
- Winthrop E. Stone, 1900-1921
- Henry W. Marshall, acting president, 1921-1922
- Edward C. Elliott, 1922-1945
- Andrey A. Potter, acting president, 1945-1946
- Frederick L. Hovde, 1946-1971
- Arthur G. Hansen, 1971-1982
- John W. Hicks, acting president, 1982-1983
- Steven C. Beering, 1983-2000
- Martin C. Jischke, 2000-2007
- France A. Córdova, 2007-present
Student life
Housing
Purdue University operates fifteen separate residence halls for its undergraduate and graduate students, including: Cary Quadrangle, Earhart Hall, Harrison Hall, Hawkins Hall, Hillenbrand Hall, Hilltop Apartments, McCutcheon Hall, Meredith Hall, Owen Hall, Purdue Village, Shreve Hall, Tarkington Hall, Wiley Hall, Windsor Halls, and Young Hall. Purdue is also building a new dorm for upperclassmen.
There are 12 cooperative houses at Purdue (5 men's houses and 7 women's houses). The cooperative system claims that it allows for a much lower cost of living than other types of housing, as the members take an active role in sharing chores and cooking all meals themselves, as opposed to hiring out cleaning and cooking staff. These include Fairway, Chauncey, Circle Pines, Marwood and Gemini, and for girls Twin Pines, Stewart, Glenwood, Shoemaker, Devonshire and Mclure.
Purdue University hosts the nation's third largest Greek community, with approximately 5,000 students participating in one of the 47 men's fraternities or 27 women's sororities. Purdue fraternities and sororities are regularly recognized by their national offices and the community as a whole has received numerous awards from both the National Interfraternity Conference and National Pan-Hellenic Council.
MediaThe Purdue Exponent, an independent student newspaper, has the largest circulation of any Indiana college newspaper, with a daily circulation of 17,500 copies during the spring and fall semesters.
WBAA is a radio station owned by Purdue University. The station operates on the AM frequency of 920 kHz and FM frequency of 101.3 MHz. Its studios are in the Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music on the Purdue campus, and the transmitters are located in Lafayette, Indiana. WBAA is the longest continuously-operating radio station in Indiana, having been licensed on April 4, 1922. WBAA airs NPR and local news/talk programming during the day. Overnight, the AM station airs jazz while the FM station airs classical music.
There are also a few student radio stations on campus. Currently, two operate from residence halls, broadcasting via internet only; WCCR from Cary Quadrangle (not to be confused with the current WCCR FM or WCCR-LP stations in other states), and WILY from Wiley Hall. A third student station, the Purdue Student Radio club operates from the Purdue Memorial Union and broadcasts on low power AM in addition to internet streaming.
W9YB is the callsign of the Amateur Radio Club at Purdue University. W9YB was granted the callsign 9YB initially, but was reassigned W9YB when it was mandated that all stations east of the Mississippi River were to be prefixed with a W. W9YB also holds the self declared title of having one of the largest and most active collegiate amateur radio stations in the country. W9YB actively participates in emergency management for the Tippecanoe County area and maintains ready status with its members in skills to assist. W9YB maintains four repeaters in the area, on 6 meter, 2 meter, 1.25 meter, and 70 centimeter bands.
Athletics
Purdue is home to 18 Division I/I-A NCAA teams including football, basketball, cross country, tennis, wrestling, golf, volleyball and others. Purdue is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference, and played a central role in its creation. Traditional rivals include Big Ten colleagues the Indiana Hoosiers, the Illinois Fighting Illini, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from the Big East Conference (football program independent, however). The Boilermakers battle the Hoosiers on the football field each year to win the Old Oaken Bucket. Purdue leads the series, first played in 1925, 68-36-6.
The Boilermaker men's and women's basketball teams have won more Big Ten Championships than any other conference school, with 27 conference banners, including a league-leading 21 for the men’s team. Purdue men's basketball has an all-time winning record against all Big Ten schools . The current coach of the Boilermaker men's basketball team is Matt Painter. Men’s former head coach Gene Keady coached his final season with the Boilermakers in the 2004 – 2005 season after 25 years with the Boilermakers. Coach Keady became Purdue's all-time-winningest coach on December 6, 1997. In his years at Purdue, Keady led the Boilermakers to more than 500 victories. Coach Keady had the honor of being named in The Sporting News as the best college coach never to make the final four.
The Boilermaker football team, after suffering a string of disappointing seasons in the late 1980s and early 1990s, has enjoyed a significant resurgence under the leadership of head coach Joe Tiller. Before Tiller joined the Boilers as the 33rd head coach in 1996, the team had not seen a bowl game since 1984. The team has made a bowl appearance every year of Tiller’s leadership except in 2005. After his first season at Purdue, Tiller was named National Coach of the Year by both Football News and Kickoff magazines, the GTE Region 3 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and the Big Ten Dave McClain Coach of the Year. Tiller recently announced his retirement following the upcoming 2008 season, after he sets the coaching record for most wins at Purdue. He will be replaced by Danny Hope, interim assistant coach, who will take over in 2009.
Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden played his college basketball at Purdue and was the captain of Purdue's 1932 17-1 team that was named Helms Athletic Foundation National Champions.
Traditions and legends
Boilermakers
Since the 1890s, the term "Boilermaker" has been synonymous with Purdue. Over the years, the name has been applied to Purdue organizations (athletic and otherwise), institutions, and individuals alike, and has come to be the unofficial nickname for all things Purdue, although Boilermaker is the official moniker of the athletics teams and certain other university organizations.
The name that has become such a big part of the identity of the university has its origins in the words of a nineteenth century sportswriter. In 1891, the Purdue football team was first referred to as the "Boiler Makers" by a reporter from Crawfordsville, Indiana, who wrote about the team’s 44-0 victory over local rival Wabash College. Soon afterward, Lafayette newspapers were using the name, and in 1892 the student newspaper announced its approval of the 'boilermaker'. Before the widespread adoption of "Boilermaker," Purdue was also sometimes referred to as the home of the "haymakers," the "rail-splitters," the "sluggers," (because of the school's strong boxing heritage) or the "cornfield sailors."
Mascots, logos, and colors
In the more than 130 years since the founding of the university, several mascots have emerged in support of the Boilermaker athletic teams, including: The Boilermaker Special, Purdue Pete, and more recently, Rowdy. Purdue is unique in that it has a separate mascot for the university and athletics.
The Boilermaker Special has been the official mascot of Purdue University since 1940. Designed to look like a train locomotive, the Special was originally designed to demonstrate Purdue's engineering programs. The latest generation of the mascot, the Boilermaker Special V, was assembled by Wabash National, a local semi-trailer manufacturing company, and was dedicated during the halftime show of the 1993 football game versus Notre Dame at Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium. A smaller version of the Special, the X-Tra special is built on a golf cart chassis and attends indoor events such as basketball and volleyball games.
As the official mascot of Purdue Athletics, Purdue Pete is one of the most recognized symbols of Purdue University. Pete was originally developed in 1940 as an advertising logo for the University Bookstore. Eventually, the popularity of the image grew among the Purdue community, and the advertisement evolved into a full character, complete with costume and mallet. By 1956 Purdue Pete was at the center of activity at Boilermaker athletic events, as entertainer and energizer. Purdue's newest symbol, Rowdy, was introduced in 1997 during the first home football game of the season. The inflatable mascot, made of parachute material, stands nearly 10 feet (3 m) tall, and represents a young boy who hopes to become a Purdue Boilermaker.
In 1969 the Purdue University Board of Trustees approved the official seal of Purdue as part of the university’s centennial celebration. The seal, designed by Purdue professor Al Gowan, replaced one that had been used informally for more than 70 years. The seal features a stylized griffin, which in medieval heraldry symbolizes strength. The words 'Purdue University' are set in Uncial typeface above the griffin, and below the three-part shield represents the three stated aims of the university: education, research, and service. The seal is generally reserved for more formal usage than the logos of the Boilermaker Special, or Purdue Pete, although the Seal of the Trustees, a different seal composed of a stylized P surrounded by a circle, appears on diplomas. publishes a for internal logo and color use.
Purdue University adopted its school colors, Old Gold and Black, in the fall of 1887. The distinctive colors were inspired by the brass and iron found on the steam engine Lafayette that passed through the state.
School songsThe official fight song of Purdue University, "Hail Purdue!," was composed in 1912 by alumni Edward Wotawa (music) and James Morrison (lyrics) as the "Purdue War Song." "Hail Purdue" was copyrighted in 1913 and dedicated to the Varsity Glee Club. The lyrics of the first verse & refrain are:
Verse 1
- To your call once more we rally
- Alma Mater hear our praise
- Where the Wabash spreads its valley
- Filled with joy our voices raise
- From the sky in swelling echoes
- Comes the cheers that tell the tale
- Of your vict'ries and your heroes
- Hail Purdue! We sing all hail!
Refrain
- Hail, hail to old Purdue!
- All hail to our old gold and black!
- Hail, hail to old Purdue!
- Our friendship may she never lack,
- Ever grateful ever true,
- Thus we raise our song anew,
- Of the days we've spent with you,
- All hail our own Purdue.
In 1993 the Purdue Board of Trustees approved the "Purdue Hymn" as the official alma mater of the university. The lyrics and music were written by Alfred Kirchhoff in 1941. The University Choir first performed the hymn in 1943, during convocation in the Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music. The lyrics are as follows:
- Close by the Wabash in famed Hoosier land
- Stands old Purdue, serene and grand.
- Cherished in memory by all
- Her sons and daughters true,
- Fair alma mater,
- All hail Purdue! Fairest in all the land,
- Our own Purdue!
- Fairest in all the land, our own Purdue!
Legends
Like many institutions with long and rich histories, Purdue University is steeped in legend. Many of these legends are so outlandish, it is difficult to believe they are still in circulation. Below is a selection of the most popular legends.
- A legend connected with benefactor John Purdue asserts that he owned the local brickyard, and that his donation carried the stipulation that all permanent university buildings must be built of red brick or his entire gift reverts to Purdue's heirs. This claim cannot be substantiated, and it is apparently contradicted by two university buildings: Krannert and Rawls halls, made of limestone. But this does not deter the story tellers, who claim that there is one solitary brick lying somewhere inside the buildings in keeping with the "red brick" tradition.
- One of the more bizarre, yet most commonly heard, legends on campus concerns the integrity of the Purdue Bell Tower. The legend claims that when construction of the tower was completed in 1995 it was discovered that the tower was structurally flawed, and as a result the bells could not ring without risking collapse. Project leaders supposedly had a speaker system installed to imitate the sound of ringing bells. However, inside the modern Bell Tower are a computerized carillon, and an electronic clock. In fact, the new tower includes bells from the original Bell Tower, which was demolished in 1956. Also of note in regards to the bell tower is that the clock face on all four sides bears the roman numeral for the number four as IIII, which, although common on clockfaces, is not as well known as IV.
- There is also a superstition about the Bell Tower, that if a student walks underneath it they will not graduate in 4 years.
- At one point 23rd US President Benjamin Harrison had been on a board of advisors. Somewhere there exists a picture of him leaning against University Hall.
- There are also a number of legends that periodically circulate on campus that involve benefactor John Purdue’s grave, which is located on campus per his final requests. The legends range from silly to macabre and many involve students from rival Indiana University participating in grave robbing and other acts of desecration.
- In the 1980s, and perhaps at other times as well, a legend circulated that John Purdue won the naming rights in a bet with Amos Heavilon, and as a result the university was named after Purdue and its main building after Heavilon. This story is a myth and is contradicted by the fact that Amos Heavilon's gift was made in 1892, long after the university's establishment in 1869.
- According to some stories there is a nuclear reactor underground, which powers the entire campus. The reactor is supposedly cooled by the Engineering Fountain. In fact, there is a nuclear reactor, but it is in Duncan Annex to the Electrical Engineering Building. While designed to generate up to 10 kW, it only ever is allowed to generate 1 kW. This is comparable to the amount of energy it would take to run a hair dryer or toaster. Were it to be left on at maximum capacity, within 24 hours the water that it is surrounded by would raise its temperature by about 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.5 °C). There is, however, a particle accelerator several stories below ground in the Physics Building, and does extend under the walkway between the Physics and Materials Science and Electrical Engineering Buildings.
- Another legend was of John Purdue's finger. A series of smokestacks on top of a building were arranged in such a way that it looked like an upraised finger was being shown in the general direction of Indiana University. In recent years due to renovation, this has been removed.
- Another legend purports to offer an explanation of the Boilermaker moniker. The legend tells of two Purdue football coaches that would not accept the scrawny volunteers that came out for the team. According to the legend, the coaches gathered a number of boilermakers from the nearby Monon Railroad Shops, enrolled them in one class each, and added them to the team. This story is chronologically impossible, however, as the Monon Shops were not yet established in Lafayette at the time the "Boilermaker" nickname originated. For a factual account of the nickname origins, see Purdue Boilermakers.
- The Hall of Music was allegedly named after President Elliott because he was an unlikable person known for his dislike of music. In actuality, Elliott was firmly in favor of the building's construction, and personally lobbied for both state and federal funding for the project.
- John Purdue stipulated that no building built on campus may rise higher than University Hall, the first building on campus. According to this story, architects have to sidestep this rule by employing creative tactics, such as elevating the Mathematical Sciences Building on concrete "stilts", in such a manner that it is not a building, but a bridge. Another supposed method was to allocate the upper floors of Beering Hall of Liberal Arts a different ZIP Code from the rest of the University campus.
- Another version of the preceding legend says that John Purdue required that no building was allowed to be taller than the top of the (former) Purdue Smokestack. This version of the legend went on to claim that the official, on paper name of the Mathematical Sciences Building was, by virtue of its manner of construction, the Mathematical Sciences Arch (or, more often, simply the Math Arch), thereby making it 'not officially a building.'
- In a somewhat joking urban legend shared with similar ones at many other universities, especially many older ones, the limestone lion fountain at the southeast corner of Stanley Coulter Hall (the northeast corner of John Purdue Memorial Mall) is said to roar when a virgin walks past the fountain.
Alumni
Purdue University has long been associated with accomplished and distinguished students and faculty. Purdue alumni have headed corporations, held federal offices, founded television networks, and flown through space. Purdue’s distinguished faculty have won Nobel prizes, solved long-standing riddles in science, headed government agencies, and received countless awards.
Purdue alumni have an especially strong relationship with NASA and the space program. All together, Purdue has produced 22 astronauts, including the first and last men to walk on the moon. Over one third of all of NASA's manned space missions have had at least one Purdue graduate as a crew member. These alumni have led significant advances in research and development of aerospace technology and established an amazing record for exploration of space.
The Dauch Alumni Center acts as a showcase for the University. The 67,000-square-footalumni center houses the offices of the Purdue Alumni Associationand University Development. It is a destinationand gathering area for the Purdue Alumni Association’s 68,000members and more than 325,000 living alumni.
Gallery
Purdue's Astronaut Alumni
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