Timeline of Drexel history, 1889-1984

1889-1899 | 1900-1909 | 1910-1919 | 1920-1929 | 1930-1939 | 1940-1949 | 1950-1959 | 1960-1969 | 1970-1984

1889	Work begins on the Main Building at 32nd, and Chesnut streets and plans for the Drexel Institute are made public
1891	First school president, James MacAlister, appointed
	Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry is dedicated
	Departments are organized under the following academic divisions: Art Department, Scientific Department, Department of Mechanic Arts, Department of Domestic Economy, Technical Department, Business Department, Department of Physical Training, Normal Department for the training of teachers, Department of Lectures and Evening Classes, Library and Reading Room, and Museum
1892	Classes begin
	Third school in the country to train librarians opens at Drexel
1893	Houses on 32nd Street purchased for lab and classroom space
	School founder Anthony J. Drexel dies in Carlsbad, Germany
1894	Department of domestic science and arts offers three specialized programs: domestic science, cookery, and dressmaking and millinery
	Technical department and science department merge to form department of science and technology
	Howard Pyle begins School of Illustration
	School incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania
	First school-wide commencement.  Commencement previously held at the department level
1895	Athletic association is formed
	Thomas Eakins teaches briefly
	First alumni association is formed
1896	First two class books, The Hanseatic and The Eccentric, are published
	Department of Free Public Lectures and Entertainment established, previously affiliated with the Evening School
	Evening architecture extends requirements for certificate
1897	Free evening classes in choral music are offered
	Violet Oakley attends classes in School of Illustration
	Lucina A. Ball, first secretary and registrar, resigns
1899	Virginia Castleman writes lyrics to Drexel Ode.  Ode perfromed at commencement for the first time
	Houses leased on Chesnut Street above 32nd for the School of Architecture
	Formal committee appointed to oversee social activites for students
1900	Department of Electrical Engineering opens
	Pauline Conway becomes first woman to complete the architecture program
	William Pittman, African-American scholarship recipient from Tuskegee Institute, completes architecture program
	Courses are offered in mathematics, physics, and chemistry
	Domestic Science and Arts are separated into junior and advanced programs with technical-level courses in Domestic Science and Domestic Arts as separate departments
	Howard Pyle resigns from Drexel
1902	Randell Hall (originally called East Hall) opens
	Picture gallery opens in Randell Hall
1903	Engineering course becomes school of electrical engineering grouped under the department of science and technology
	Training for nurses is briefly offered
	Library school requires entrance examination
	Choral music department is reconstituted as Department of Evening Classes in Choral Music
1905	Architecture becomes independent department
	Fine and applied arts is officially terminated
	Board of Trustees decides not to offer a degree
	Evening school offers course to prepare students to pass State Board of Examiners of Public Accountants
	Marble bust of A.J. Drexel, done by Moses Ezekiel, is presented to school by Sarah Drexel Van Rensselaer, daughter of the founder
1906	Science courses become School of Science
	School of Electrical Engineering becomes School of Engineering under the Department of Science and Technology, offering electrical, mechanical and civil engineering
	New alumni constitution is prepared
1907	First alumni day is held
1908	Training for nurses is discontinued
	Choral music course is discontinued
	Industry subsidizes employees' attendance at Drexel Evening School
	Board of Trustees president James W. Paul, son-in-law of the founder, dies.  Alexander Van Rensselaer becomes board president.
1909	Architecture offers three-year course
	Frances MacIntyre replaces Frances J. Dill as school's secretary
1910	Evening school alumni form separate group
	Associated alumni of evening classes form constitution
1911	First yearbook is offered
	Charles E. Etting Fund established as the first general scholarship fund
1912	Men's student government is formed
1913	Lexerd published under present name
	President James MacAlister resigns, then dies shortly after
	President James Horace Churchman serves pro tem
1914	Hollis Godfrey becomes president, implements a major restructuring of academic divisions
	Academic departments reorganized under four schools: Engineering School, Secretarial School, Evening School, and School of Domestic Science and Arts
	Technical training becomes a division under the School of Domestic Science and Arts
	Architecture drops from day curriculum, becomes division of Evening School
	Secretarial School created through the dissolution of the Department of Commerce and Finance
	Department of Domestic Science and Department of Domestic Arts consolidated under School of Domestic Science and Arts
	Courses in pure and physical science, technical courses, and electrical engineering consolidate to form School of Engineering
	School of Mechanic Arts becomes prepatory program for School of Engineering
	Right to grant Bachelor of Science degree in engineering is given
	Free lectures and public concerts discontinued
	Library school is discontinued
	Henry V. Grummere heads newly established Evening School, lengthens course offerings with policy of non-duplication with area schools
1915	Controlled summer program begins, predecessor to co-op program
1916	First home management practice house opens for the School of Domestic Science and Arts
	Lower school is discontinued
1917	Bachelor of Science in secretarial studies is offered
	Bachelor of Science in domestic science and arts is offered
	State grants rights to offer Master of Science in domestic science and arts
	Twenty-fifth anniversary convocation held
1918	Students' Army Training Corps begins
	War course for women initiated in dietetics, occupational therapy, and prepatory work for the civil service
	First student houses for women under direct Drexel control are set up
1919	First regular summer school begins
	Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) begins
	Terms become quarters
	Four-year engineering co-op is established
	Harold C. Bales is appointed first director of co-op
	First two degrees are granted to women
	Evening diploma school is organized
1920	Evening School offers prepatory curriculum
	M.J. McAvoy, first full-time coach, is hired
1921	Hollis Godfrey resigns
	Administrative board runs the Institute in the interim between presidents
1922	Kenneth Gordon Matheson becomes president
	Evening School faculty consists of regular college faculty, secondary school teachers, and persons from industry
	John Arnett comes to Drexel as physician
	New Home Management House opens
	Cecil A. Kapp is appointed new director of cooperative work
	Two-year dietetics course is offered
	Helen Goodspeed is director of home economics and advisor to women
	First alumnus, Horace P. Liversidge, is elected to board of trustees
	Seven scholarships are granted to students from local schools
	Secretarial school is retitled School of Business Administration
	Women's student government is formed
	Office of dean of men is created and dean of women's functions are expanded
	Faculty council of president is formed, composed of deans and directors, department heads, and chairman of committees
	Functions of registrar and comptroller are divided
	Prepatory nurses course is started
	Library School is re-established under directorship of Anne Wallace Howland
1923	Drexel alumni write new constitution
	Grace Godfrey succeeds Helen Goodspeed as director of home economics and advisor to women
	Dietetics becomes four-year major
	Four-year cooperative degree in chemical engineering is offered, as are business administration, four-year commercial teaching, four-year secretarial studies, and two-year secretarial course for diploma
1924	First evening diploma to woman in accounting is offered
	Five-year commerce and engineering course is offered
	R.C. Disque becomes academic dean
	Endowment drive begins
	Evening College alumni amend constitution
	John Arnett begins systematic program of student health
	Faculty athletic council is formed
1925	Chemical engineering becomes five-year co-op
1926	Department of Education and Psychology is established
	Drexel Triangle begins
1927	Nursery playschool is developed
	Walter H. Halas hired as full-time coach, responsible for baseball, basketball, and football
	State grants charter amendment for Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in secretarial studies, commerce, home economics, library science, and civil, electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering
1928	Cyrus H.K. Curtis gives pipe organ to Institute
	Edith M. Rood becomes first woman editor of Triangle
1929	Annuity plan for faculty is approved by board of trustees
	Home economics offers textile merchandising
	Curtis Hall is completed
1930	Home Management House and nursery school building open
	Nurses' course is established
1931	Drexel Lodge, gift of A.J. Drexel Paul, is dedicated
	Cornerstone is laid for Sarah Drexel Van Rensselaer Dormitory for Women
	Charter is amended to give honorary degrees
	Graduate work begins in home economics
	President Matheson dies
	Executive committee runs Drexel - academic dean (R.C. Disque), comptroller (W.R. Wagenseller), dean of men (L.D. Stratton), and director of Evening School (W.T. Spivey)
	Sarah Drexel Van Rensselaer Dormitory opens
1932	Parke R. Kolbe becomes president
	Open House for high school students, parents, and faculty is held
	Alexander Van Rensselaer starts first loan fund for Evening School students
1933	Home Economics holds first vocational conference
	Faculties with broad self-governing powers are formed in each school: business administration, engineering, home economics, and library science; administrative head of school is to be called dean
	Business administration offers retailing management
1934	Men's faculty club room is established, with corresponding Ryder Club for the women of the faculty and administrative staff
	Provision of indefinite tenure for the faculty with rank of assistant professor and higher is passed by the board of trustees
1935	Home economics offers general home economics course
1936	Name is changed to Drexel Institute of Technology
	Carl Altmaier undertakes history of Drexel
	Marie Hamilton Law succeeds Anne Wallace Howland as director of library school
	Engineering Council for Professional Development accredits School of Engineering
1937	Alumni help in selecting promising students
1938	George C. Galphin starts guidance clinic
	Libray School discontinues non-credit summer work
	Technical Journal begins publication
1939	Student Building opens
	New alumni association constitution subordinates class and school interests to those of the Institute as a whole
1940	Engineering Defense Training Program offered
1941	Training begins in the Engineering Defense Program and the Engineering, Science, and Management of War Program
1942	George Peters Rea becomes president
	History of the school covering the first 50 years of the school published
1943	First women enroll in the School of Engineering
1944	Financial crisis caused by falling enrollment during World War II forces the sale of Drexel's collection of art and original manuscripts.  The auction for the material brings in $75,000
1945	James Creese becomes president
	Athletics becomes a recognized department under the Dean of Faculty
1946	The Drexel Society of Women Engineers founded
1947	Day college and evening school unite, making credits from both of equal value
1948	Evening students receive their diplomas with the day colleges in a combined ceremony
1950	Evening School becomes Evening College
1955	Stratton Hall (originally called the Basic Sciences Building) is completed
1956	Tidewater Grain elevator explosion causes considerable damage to Drexel buildings
	The United States Army Corps of Engineers' report on the educational qualifications of engineering graduates ranks Drexel alumni second
1957	Biomedical engineering program begins.
1959	New library (current Korman Center), which includes space for the library school and an audiovisual center, opens
1960	Red Lion Warehouse, adjacent to the Main Building, is purchased
1961	Rush Hospital on 33rd Street is purchased
1962	Drexel graduate Paul Baron (class of 1949) invents "packet switching," a key component in the development of the Internet
1963	William Walsh Hagerty becomes president
	Creese Student Center opens
	Pennsylvania grants the right to confer Ph.D. in physics, chemistry, materials engineering, applied mechanics, and mathematics
1964	Red Lion Warehouse is converted into classrooms and reopened as Commonwealth Hall.  A bridge over Ludlow Street connects Commonwealth with the Main Building
1966	Rush Hospital is converted into classrooms and opens as the Graduate School of Library Science (Rush Building)
	A.J. Drexel statue moved from Fairmount Park to the Drexel campus
1968	The College of Engineering and the College of Science are founded out of the previously established College of Engineering and Science
1970	Name is officially changed to Drexel University
1974	Nesbitt Hall is completed.  Lancaster Avenue (between 32nd and 33rd) is converted to a sidewalk
	The Friel Physical Athletic Education Center is built and the "Horses" sculpture is installed
	The Educational Activities Center (renamed MacAlister Hall in 1977) and Mandall Theater open
1983	All students at Drexel are required to have personal access to a Macintosh computer
	W.W. Hagerty Library opens
1984	William S. Gaither becomes president

Also visit:  Interactive timeline developed by the Office of Admissions