Rice University George R. Brown School of Engineering records

From its opening in 1912, Rice University (then Rice Institute) has offered courses in engineering. The first catalog listed twenty-six faculty members, three of whom were engineers. They offered instruction in chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. The first building completed on campus was the mechanical laboratory, which is still in constant use.

Through the years represented in this collection, the School of Engineering added specialists in computer science, environmental science, mathematical sciences, materials science, and statistics. Curricula expanded from offering bachelor’s degrees to the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy. By 1992 graduate enrollment in engineering ranged between 370 and 400 annually. Also offered are a professional master’s degree requiring 30 hours of advanced courses beyond the bachelor’s degree, and, in conjunction with the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration, a Master of Business Administration/Master of Engineering degree.

The number of full-time faculty grew to 83 in 1990, all of whom held Ph.D.’s and from a wide variety of universities. Measured in dollars spent on Engineering School research, the total in 1990 was over 12 million dollars annually. The wide range of research interests of particular faculty members is represented in the promotion files included in this collection.