Chronology

1882
Cornerstone of Old Main Building laid and Ashbel Smith treated the crowd to a 2-1/2 hour speech
1883
UT opens for classes
1885
Orange and white ribbons make their first appearance at a UT baseball game
The Texas Ex-Students' Association organized

1888
T.U. Taylor begins teaching engineering at UT
First engineering degree awarded - William H. P. Hunnicut, B.S.C.E. 1888
State Capitol Building, the largest in the nation, dedicated
1894
The Department of Engineering established
The Cactus Yearbook first published
1900
The University's student newspaper, The Texan, first published

1903
The engineering department faculty Civil Engineering Department established
Mining Engineering Department established (ended in 1913)
Electrical Engineering Department established
"Eyes of Texas" written and performed
1904
Old Engineering Building completed (now the Dorothy Gebauer Building)
Varsity teams referred to as "Longhorns"

1905
T.U. Taylor's grading mark called a "Ramshorn"
Architecture Department established

1908
Engineers discover a statue at Jacoby's Beer Garden and Alexander Frederick Claire (Alec) is born
1910
Engineers Loan Fund created by Dean Taylor
1911
Department of Drawing established (ended in 1968)
UT's first library building (now Battle Hall) completed

1913
Students work on a steam turbo-generator test unit.
1914
Mechanical Engineering Department established
1915
Division (later called Bureau) of Engineering Research created
1916
Tau Beta Pi, first engineering honor society in Texas, chartered
1917
Chemical Engineering Department established
First woman engineering student graduates-Alma C. Giesecke, B.S., Arch. 1917
1919
Engineering student body exceeds 500
1921
First M.S. degree awarded-J. Guiton Morgan, C.E. 1921

1923
The Santa Rita oil well blows in
Dean T.U. Taylor delivers eulogy for Pig Bellmont, UT's first bulldog mascot, run over by a Model T
1924
Miriam A. "Ma" Ferguson elected first woman governor of Texas

1929
William H.P. Hunnicut, the first engineering graduate, with Dean T.U. Taylor and Robert Lee Lowry Jr., B.S. C.E., the one-thousandth engineering graduate
1930
Petroleum Engineering Department established
The first University Round-Up occurs (a homecoming for alumni)

1931
Carl J. Eckhardt Jr., B.S. M.E. 1925, M.S. M.E. 1930, begins supervision of UT Tower construction
Engineering student body exceeds 1,000
1933
The College of Engineering moves into Taylor Hall
1935
First Ph.D. degree awarded -Frank Van Lue Patten, Ch.E. 1935
Plan II honors program begins

1936
Willis R. Woolrich becomes the second dean
1937
T.U. Taylor becomes the first registered engineer in Texas
New Main Building dedicated

1938
UT graduate Leah Moncure, B.S. C.E. 1937 becomes the first woman to register as a professional engineer in Texas
1941
First Chemical Engineering Building- E. P. Schoch Lab-completed (no longer in engineering)
First Petroleum Engineering building completed (no longer in engineering)

1942
Aerospace Engineering Department established (originally called Aeronautical Engineering)
1945
Ceramic Engineering Department established (ended in 1959)

1947
Placement Center created (now called the Engineering Career Assistance Center)
Engineering Mechanics Department established (merged with Aerospace in 1968)
Architectural Engineering Department established (merged with Civil in 1969)
First woman faculty member hired - Edith Clarke, Electrical Engineering
1948
Byron E. Short, B.S. M.E. 1926, M.S. M.E. 1930 becomes acting dean for two years while Dean Woolrich serves as science attach?to the United States Embassy in London
1949
Engineering Operating Budget goes over $1 million
1951
School of Architecture becomes autonomous and architecture degrees no longer awarded by College of Engineering
1952
"Operation Gopher" begins - engineering students dig out basement of Taylor Hall to create the "Taylor T Room"
1955
"Hook 'em Horns" sign introduced to campus
Engineering Foundation established
1957
First Distinguished Graduate honored-Julian C. Montgomery B.S. C.E. 1912

1963
John J. McKetta, Jr. becomes dean
Engineering Science Building completed

1964
Ervin S. Perry, M.S. C.E. 1961, Ph.D. C.E. 1964, becomes first African-American faculty member at The University
1965
First endowed professorship established by Henry J. Beckman
1966
Engineering Operating Budget tops $5 million
1967
Engineering Cooperative Education Program established
1969
Astroturf installed on football field
Beauford H. Jester Center opens as one of the largest dorms in the world

1970
Earnest F. Gloyna , M.S. C.E. 1949, becomes dean
Equal Opportunity in Engineering Program created
1973
First endowed scholarship established in honor of Neena M. Woolrich
1974
Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Hall completed
Friends of Alec established
1975
Engineering Research Expenditures exceeds $5 million
1979
First endowed classroom/laboratory established by Z.D. Bonner, B.S. Ch.E. 1941
First endowed chair established by the Cockrell Foundation-Earnest and Virginia Cockrell Chair in Engineering
Engineering student body exceeds 5,000
1981
Robert L. Crippen, B.S. As.E. 1960, pilots the first space shuttle

1983
Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp. (MCC), a research consortium, decides to locate its research center in Austin spawning a new era in UT engineering programs in micro-electronics and computers
Engineering Teaching Center 2 completed
1985
Engineering research expenditures exceed $25 million
New Chemical and Petroleum Engineering building dedicated

1994
UT graduate Jean M. Flynn, B.S. As.E. 1990, becomes the first woman fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force

1996
Ben G. Streetman, B.S. E.E. 1961, M.S. E.E. 1963, Ph.D. E.E. 1966 becomes dean
2001
Proposed first satellite launch by UT, managed by Center for Space Research
Alec building contest

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