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''See also Purdue University System .'' Purdue University is a Public Land-grant University whose primary campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana on the bluffs above the Wabash River . This main campus in West Lafayette anchors the Purdue University System statewide, which is comprised of regional campuses, satellite technology-training centers, and county agricultural extension offices. The main campus is particularly noted for its Engineering , Agriculture , Business Administration , Landscape Architecture and Hospitality Management programs, which are consistently counted among the best. The campus is well-known for important and groundbreaking contributions in strategic areas. Particularly notable among its numerous research facilities and centers are Discovery Park, the home to its several interdisciplinary programs, and the non-academic Purdue Research Park. Purdue is also home to the state of Indiana's school of Veterinary Medicine . The main campus has a consistent enrollment of over 30,000 undergraduate students and of nearly 8,000 graduate students. HISTORY Founding and early years On July 2nd of 1862 , President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act into law, offering 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. The state of Indiana received a gift of $150,000 from John Purdue , a Lafayette business leader and Philanthropist (buried at Purdue), along with $50,000 from Tippecanoe County , and 150 acres (0.6 km²) of land from Lafayette residents in support of the project. In 1869 , it was decided that the college would be founded near the city of Lafayette and established 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’s of Science in Chemistry , in 1875 . The first female students were admitted to the university in the fall of the same year. By 1883 enrollment had increased beyond 350, and by the turn of the Twentieth Century Purdue had begun a period of active expansion: scholarship standards were raised, courses were expanded, and equipment was improved. Aviation 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. Since the earliest days of the University, students, faculty, and staff have played major, and often instrumental, roles in the history of aerospace. 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 also played a central 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. Earhart began her fateful transoceanic flight from the Purdue University Airport . 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 . 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. ACADEMICS Strengths Purdue University's traditional strengths have been in its world-renowned agriculture and engineering programs. Many of the university's other schools have gained repute over the years.
Colleges and Schools Purdue University is academically organized into eight colleges and 14 schools:
ATHLETICS See also: Purdue Boilermakers 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 and 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 , 66-35-6. 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. 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, once a minor player in the conference, has enjoyed a significant resurgence in recent years 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 a streak of 8 straight appearances. 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. 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," 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. The Boilermaker Special , a Locomotive , has been the official mascot of Purdue athletics since 1940 . The latest generation of the mascot, the Boilermaker Special V, was dedicated during the halftime show of the 1993 football game versus Notre Dame at Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium . Though not the official mascot, 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. As a matter of tradition, the modern mallet-wielding Boilermaker character always appears in a #1 jersey. 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 meters) 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. Purdue University adopted its school colors, Old Gold and Black, in the fall of 1887 . The distinctive colors were inspired by those of Princeton University , at the time the leader in college football, whose colors were black and orange. School songs The 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 refrain are: 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. performs "Hail 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.
LEADERSHIP Board of trustees When Purdue University was established in . Each member serves for a term of three years, except the student member who serves for two years. Current board members include:
Administration President Martin C. Jischke , appointed by the Board of Trustees, is the chief administrative officer of the university. He 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. Past presidents
CAMPUS LIFE Purdue University operates fifteen separate residence facilities 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. See Purdue's website for more information. Also, Purdue University hosts one of the nation's largest Greek Communities , with approximately 5,000 students participating in one of the 45 men's fraternities or 25 women's sororities. Hazing presents an ongoing problem among these organizations and a number of fraternities have recently been suspended. [http://www.purdueexponent.org/index.php/module/Issue/action/Article/article_id/3361 [http://www.purdueexponent.org/index.php/module/Issue/action/Article/article_id/3186] In addition to the residence facilities and Greek housing, there are 12 cooperative houses, 5 men's houses and 7 women's houses. The cooperative system 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. Also, by buying food and supplies in bulk, the cost of daily life is much less than apartment living, for example. ''See also:'' Purdue Cooperative Housing NOTABLE ALUMNI AND STAFF 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 Prize s, 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. The only other non-military institution that has more alumni who have become astronauts is the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT). These alumni have led significant advances in research and development of aerospace technology and established an amazing record for exploration of space. POINTS OF INTEREST
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