Finding Aid for Electrical Engineering Subject File, 1899-1994 | University of Illinois Archives

Title: Electrical Engineering Subject File, 1899-1994

ID: 11/6/1

Primary Creator: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Extent: 77.6 cubic feet

Arrangement: by subject and chronologically by academic year

Subjects: Academic Programs, Accreditation, Accreditation Board for Engineering Education, Adult Education, Aeronomy, American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, American Institute of Electrical Engineers, American Society for Engineering Education, Antenna Laboratory, Awards, Building Plans, Computers, Curriculum Development, Electrical Engineering Department, Engineering College Research Council, Engineering Education, Engineering Experiment Station, Engineering Graduates, Engineering Placement, Engineering Policy and Development Committee, Engineering Research, Extension Education, Faculty Evaluation, Faculty Meetings, Faculty Promotions, Foreign Students, Graduate Study, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), International Scientific Radio Union (URSI), National Science Foundation (NSF), Newsletters, Placement, Radio Astronomy, Radio Engineering, Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, Technograph, Tykociner Lectures

Formats/Genres: Papers

Languages: English

Subject file of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department including letters, memoranda, minutes sent to and received from university administration, department faculty, students, AAAS, Accreditation Board for Engineering Education and Technology Engineering Accreditation Committee, AIEE, ASEE, the BUILD program, IEC, IEEE, IEEE Educational Activities Board, IRE, NAE, NEC, NSF, SCOPE, URSI, and the U.S. Army Signal Corps; proposed courses; grant applications; departmental magazines and newsletters, including North of Green, Technograph, Power Lines, and What-Meter; reports and minutes from departmental committees; teacher evaluations; teaching assignments; letters of recommendation;  Tykociner lectures; seminar topics, course schedules and descriptions; proposals for academic programs in bioengineering, computer science, and computer engineering; accreditation reports; computer research time allotments; newspaper clipping on computer memory (1949); Brush Development Co. computer printout (circa 1950s); student projects;  prospective students; students; academic work; employment and recruitment; Extension Division; student organizations and honoraries; research sites, including the Midwest Electronics Research Lab, Interstate Research Park, Undergraduate Laboratory for Solid State Electronics, Monticello Road Field Station, Upper Atmosphere Observatory, Submicron Structure Facility, Biophysical Research Laboratory, Bioacoustics Lab, Antenna Lab, Aeronomy Field Station, Chanute Radio Range Annex, and Chanute Radio Beacon Annex; retirement; and faculty senate. Also included is departmental correspondence by William L. Everitt (1940-1950), J. D. Ryder (1951-1954), E.C. Jordan (1954-1978), and G.W. Swenson (1978-1981). The majority of the files are from 1940-1983.

Electrical Engineering courses started as a division of the Physics Department in 1891. The Trustees approved a course in Electrical Engineering in 1891.¹ The University of Illinois was comparatively late in offering a course in Electrical Engineering, but by 1894 the Department compared favorably with other Engineering Departments in equipment and facilities.² The work of administration and instruction in Physics and Electrical Engineering separated temporarily into two departments in 1895, but were joined thereafter until 1898 when the department of Electrical Engineering was established as a separate unit.³ In 1919 the objectives were: to prepare men to engage in design, care and maintenance of electrical apparatus of all kinds.⁴ In 1972 the department's aims were to prepare men for responsible engineering positions in research, development, design, operation, sales, and administration in the fields of communication, computers, electronics and electrical power.⁵ In 1940, the Department absorbed the Department of Railway Engineering and its laboratory when that department was dissolved.⁶ Interdisciplinary courses are offered in conjunction with the departments of Astronomy, Biophysics, Computer Science, Mathematics, and the Coordinated Science Laboratory.⁷ From 1968 onward, computer science starts making an appearance in the electrical engineering curriculum. A specified sequence of electrical engineering courses enables specialization in the area of computer science.⁸

On February 16, 1984, the Board of Trustees received for record the president's report of Senate approval of a name change to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to reflect "the breadth of emphasis" in the department.⁹

ECE includes the following departments:

--Analog Computer Laboratory

--Biophysical Research Laboratory

--Vermilion River Observatory:

Completed in 1962, the Vermilion River Observatory was the site of the University's radio telescope, which was used in the study of signals from radio sources in space. The project was financed by the Office of Naval Research and the

Astronomy and Electrical Engineering Departments:

--Radio Research Laboratory (1974)

1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 16th Report, March 11, 1891, p. 75.

2. Board of Trustees Transactions, 17th Report, 1894, p. 332.

3. Baker and King, History, 1:443.

4. University of Illinois Bulletin, Vol 16, no. 19, Jan. 6, 1919, p. 10.

5. Undergraduate Study Catalog, 1971-72, p. 285.

6. Baker and King, History, 1:504.

7. Research in Electrical Engineering, 1966, p. 88, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois.

8. University of Illinois Bulletin, Vol. 65, No. 109, May 1, 1968.

9. Board of Trustees Transactions, 62nd Report, Feb. 16, 1984, p. 485.

Academic Programs
Accreditation
Accreditation Board for Engineering Education
Adult Education
Aeronomy
American Association for the Advancement of Sciences
American Institute of Electrical Engineers
American Society for Engineering Education
Antenna Laboratory
Awards
Building Plans
Computers
Curriculum Development
Electrical Engineering Department
Engineering College Research Council
Engineering Education
Engineering Experiment Station
Engineering Graduates
Engineering Placement
Engineering Policy and Development Committee
Engineering Research
Extension Education
Faculty Evaluation
Faculty Meetings
Faculty Promotions
Foreign Students
Graduate Study
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
International Scientific Radio Union (URSI)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Newsletters
Placement
Radio Astronomy
Radio Engineering
Sigma Xi
Tau Beta Pi
Technograph
Tykociner Lectures

Repository: University of Illinois Archives

Accruals: 3/22/1985, 1/10/2002

Other Note: 30 Pages

URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/uasfa/1106001.pdf

PDF finding aid for Electrical Engineering Subject File (11/6/1)