American Railway Master Mechanic's Association Letterbook, 1879-1886 | University of Illinois Archives

The 1867 Committee of the Regent and the Board of Trustees made provision for Civil Engineering instruction¹ but the department did not become a separate unit until after 1871 when Professor J.B. Webb was appointed to the Professorship of Civil Engineering.² In 1871 there were 21 students enrolled in the Department of Civil Engineering.³

In 1876, the Trustees defined the object of the school as "to furnish a course of theoretical instruction, accompanied and illustrated by a large amount of practice, which will enable students to enter intelligently upon the various and important duties of an engineer." Their report included statements on instructions, course of studies, technical studies, drawing, projects, apparatus and courses.⁴

On January 30, 1906, the Trustees created a Department of Railway Engineering.⁵ On January 23, 1907, the Trustees established the School of Railway Engineering and Administration.⁶ In 1926, the Department took over the work of the Department of Municipal and Sanitary Engineering which had been organized in 1890.⁷

In February 1989, the Departments of Metallurgy and Mining Engineering and Ceramic Engineering were merged to form the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. See also Subgroup 11/9.⁸

1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 1st Report, May 8, 1867, pp. 42, 50-51.

2. Board of Trustees Transactions, 5th Report, Nov. 1, 1871, p. 149.

3. Board of Trustees Transactions, 4th Report, 1870-71, p. 14.

4. Board of Trustees Transactions, 8th Report, 1874-76, pp. 44-47.

5. Board of Trustees Transactions, 23rd Report, Jan. 30, 1906, p. 315.

6. Board of Trustees Transactions, 24th Report, Jan. 23, 1907, p. 70.

7. Board of Trustees Transactions, 34th Report, July 7, 1926, p. 3; Board of Trustees Transactions, 17th Report, 1892-94, p. 332.

8. Board of Trustees Transactions, 64th Report, February 4, 1988, pp 466-67.