Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six campuses 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 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 (Purdue 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, giving rise to Purdue's nickname, Cradle of Astronauts.
History
Founded in 1869 and named after benefactor John Purdue, Purdue University began its journey with six instructors, 39 students and a mission to provide agriculture and mechanic arts education.
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 km²) 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. 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.
Student Body
System-wide enrollment of 69,098 students; West Lafayette enrollment of 38,712 students (fall 2005); students from 50 states and 130 countries.
Location
Main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana (126 miles southeast of Chicago, 65 miles north of Indianapolis). Statewide university system includes five campuses and numerous teaching and research sites.
Estimated Annual Undergraduate Expenses
$18,800 resident; $34,444 nonresident (2008-09). Includes fees, books and supplies, room/board, tuition for nonresidents, and miscellaneous costs.
The slatter slammer concert at the beginning of each fall term
Athletics
Member of Big Ten Conference
nine men's, nine women's Division I NCAA teams
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 Old Gold Free Press. 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.
Future 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.
Purdue Symphony Orchestra
Colleges
College of Agriculture
College of Consumer and Family Sciences
College of Education
College of Engineering
College of Liberal Arts
College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Sciences
College of Science
College of Technology
Schools
School of Consumer and Family Sciences
School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering
School of Chemical Engineering
School of Civil Engineering
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
School of Health Sciences
School of Industrial Engineering
Krannert School of Management*
School of Materials Engineering
School of Mechanical Engineering
School of Nuclear Engineering
School of Nursing
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine*
A * indicates a school existing independently of a larger college.
Purdue University ranked 77th in the 2007 THES-QS World University ranking
Purdue University ranked 99th in the 2008 THES-QS World University ranking
Purdue University ranked 87th in the 2009 THES-QS World University ranking
Purdue University ranked 87th in the 2010 QS World University ranking
Purdue University ranked 85th in the 2011 QS World University ranking