Purdue University: Purdue
University, a land-grant university, is located in the small city of West
Lafayette, near the western bank of the Wabash River, across which sits the
larger city of Lafayette.Purdue was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture in his name. The first classes were held on September 16, 1874.
Purdue enrolls the second largest student body of any university in Indiana (about 31,000), as well as the fourth largest foreign student population of any university in the United States.
In the 1890s, Purdue became a leader in the research of railway technology. For many years Purdue operated the "Schenectady No. 1", and later the "Schenectady No. 2", on a dynamometer in an engineering laboratory on the campus. These were 4-4-0 type steam locomotives. The Schenectady was of a classic Victorian-era. Purdue even operated its own railroad to connect the campus to a main rail line. In the 1930s the dynamometer was decommissioned and the Schenectady No. 2 was retired as the railroad industry in the United States converted from steam to diesel-electric locomotives.
By 1925 Purdue had the largest undergraduate engineering enrollment in the country, a status it would keep for half a century. In the late 1950s and early 1960s the university established programs in veterinary medicine, industrial management, and nursing, as well as the first computer science department in the United States.
WBAA is a professional radio station operation owned by and licensed to Purdue University. WBAA is the longest continuously-operating radio station in Indiana, having been licensed on April 4, 1922. WBAA is an NPR-member member station.
The Purdue Mall is the central quad of Purdue University. Also known as the Purdue Spine, due to its proximity to several important academic buildings, it was created to connect the academic campus with football’s Ross-Ade Stadium. It also is known as the Engineering Mall, due to its proximity to several engineering buildings. The most prominent feature of the Purdue Mall is the 38-foot-tall concrete Engineering Fountain.
Southwest of the Stadium Mall is the Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music, one of the largest proscenium theaters in the world.
The Purdue Memorial Mall, south of the Purdue Mall, is the original section of campus. A popular meeting place for students, the grassy, open Memorial Mall is surrounded by the Stewart Center, Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry, Stanley Coulter Hall, the Class of 1950 Lecture Hall, the Recitation Building, University Hall, and Stone Hall. The Memorial Mall also features the Hello Walk. Near this section of campus is Felix Haas Hall, which was constructed in 1909 as Memorial Gymnasium in memory of the 17 Purdue University football players, coaches, alumni, and fans who perished in the Purdue Wreck railroad accident on October 31, 1903.
University Hall is the only building remaining from the original six-building
campus. At the request of John Purdue, he was buried in the Memorial Mall,
directly across from the main entrance of University Hall.
Purdue alumni have achieved recognition in a range of areas, particularly in the science, engineering, and aviation industries. The university's alumni pool collectively holds over 15,000 United States patents.
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| Gus Grissom |
Purdue has produced 23
astronauts, including Gus Grissom, America's second man in space and first to
fly in NASA's Gemini program, Neil Armstrong, the first to walk on the moon,
and Eugene Cernan, the last astronaut to do so. Over one third of all of NASA's
manned space missions have had at least one Purdue graduate as a crew member.
In science, Purdue has also produced Nobel Prize–winning physicists in Edward Mills Purcell and Ben Roy Mottelson, as well as Nobel Prize–winning chemist Akira Suzuki. Other noted Purdue alumni in science include pioneer of robotics and remote control technology Thomas B. Sheridan; Debian founder Ian Murdock; Chinese physicist Deng Jiaxian, a founding father and key contributor to the Chinese nuclear weapon programs; mathematician Yitang Zhang; chemist Lawrence Rocks; biochemist Edwin T. Mertz, credited with the discovery of high-protein corn and beans; Indian chemist CNR Rao, who has been awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India; engineer Mohamed Atalla who invented the MOS transistor; physical organic chemist and advocate for women and minorities in science Nina Rocher; and Professor Reuben J. Olembo, a geneticist and environmentalist who went on to become the Deputy Executive Director of UNEP and a UN Assistant Secretary-General, and who was recognized by Purdue in 1994 with a Distinguished Alumni Award for Agriculture.
In business and economics, Purdue alumni include Stephen Bechtel, Jr., owner of Bechtel Corporation; Federal Reserve Bank president Jeffrey Lacker; and popcorn specialist Orville Redenbacher. In 2010, Bloomberg also revealed Purdue was one of the universities in America with the most undergraduate alumni serving as chief executive officers of S&P 500 firms. They are Gregory Wasson, president/CEO of Walgreens; Mark Miller, chairman/president/CEO of Stericycle; Charles Davidson, chairman/CEO of Noble Energy, Inc; Samuel Allen, chairman /president/CEO of Deere & Company; Don Thompson, president/COO of McDonald's; and John C. Martin (businessman), chairman/CEO of Gilead Sciences, Inc.
In government and culture,
Purdue alumni include Pulitizer Prize-winners Booth
Tarkington and John T. McCutcheon, as well as Akinwumi
Adesina, former Nigerian minister of Agriculture and Rural development and
current President of the African Development Bank; Essam Sharaf,
former Egyptian prime minister; Tom Moore, theater and television
director; James Thomson, CEO of Rand Corporation; Brian Lamb, founder and CEO of C-SPAN;
Harry G.
Leslie, former Governor of Indiana; Kirk Fordice,
former Governor of Mississippi; Earl Butz,
former U.S. secretary of agriculture; Birch Bayh, former United States Senator; Herman Cain,
2012 Presidential Candidate; David
McKinley, current West Virginia Congressman; Sun Li-jen,
former Kuomintang
general; Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Indian
Parliament member; Dulquer Salmaan, Malayalam
film actor; Anthony W. Miller, former U.S.Deputy secretary of education; and Hugo F. Sonnenschein, former University of Chicago president. Richard O.
Klemm, former CEO of Food Warming Equipment and Illinois state
legislator, also graduated from Purdue University.
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| Neil Armstrong |
Three Purdue alumni have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States: Neil Armstrong, Brian Lamb and John Wooden.
The Dauch Alumni Center acts as a showcase for the university's alumni. The 67,000-square-foot center houses the offices of the Purdue Alumni Association and University Development. It is a destination and gathering area for the Purdue Alumni Association's 69,000 members and more than 410,000 living alumni.
Colors: Old gold and black. The school colors of old gold and black were selected by Purdue's first football team in 1887 to resemble the orange and black of Princeton’s then-successful team. Old gold is a dark yellow, which varies from light olive or olive brown to deep or strong yellow, generally on the darker side of this range.
Nickname: Boilermakers. On October 26, 1891, a newspaper in Crawfordsville, Indiana, called Purdue's football team the "Boiler Makers" when writing about their trouncing of Wabash College. There had been rumors the university enrolled burly boilermakers from the Monon Railroad shops in Lafayette, Indiana, as students/football players to help beef up the scrawny football team.
Newspapers in Lafayette, Indiana, soon picked up the “Boilermaker” name, and in October 1892, The Purdue Exponent, Purdue's student newspaper, gave it the stamp of approval. In the early days of Purdue football, the team was called other names as well, including "haymakers," "railsplitters," "sluggers" and "cornfield sailors."
In the traditional sense, a boilermaker is a trained tradesperson who fabricates steel, iron, or copper into boilers and other large containers intended to hold hot gas or liquid, as well as maintains and repairs boilers and boiler systems.
Mascots: Purdue’s heritage is reflected in its mascots: The Boilermaker Special, and Purdue Pete.
The Boilermaker resembles a Victorian-era railroad locomotive and is built on a truck chassis. Financial and moral support for the first Boilermaker Special was provided by key members of the Purdue University graduating class of 1907, and members of the Purdue Reamer Club from the graduating classes of 1940 and 1941. It is operated and maintained by the student members of the Purdue Reamer Club.
Purdue Pete is a muscular hammer-wielding boilermaker. Purdue Pete was first designed as a logo by the University Bookstore in 1940.
Band: Purdue’s band is known as the “All-American Marching Band.” Founded in 1886, the band has grown from an original five members to 389 members. In 1995 the band was the recipient of the Sudler Trophy, the most prestigious award a college marching band can receive. The band is the only band from a university without a school of music to have received this award. In addition to performing at university events, the band is the host band of the Indianapolis 500 race, having held the position since 1919.
The three most distinctive features of the band are the Purdue Big Bass Drum (the “World’s Largest Drum, the Purdue Golden Girl featured twirler, and the "Block P," the first marching band field formation created in 1907.
Originally built in 1921, at a cost of $911.12, the Big Bass Drum a bit less than eight feet, but over ten feet when the carriage is included.
At football games, when Purdue scores, the drum crew can occasionally be seen performing aerials with the drum in the Southeast endzone of Ross-Ade Stadium. This is accomplished by first removing the 'third' wheel, which acts as kick stand. Two crew members pull down of the back of the drum as two other members are lifted on the front bar of the carriage, while performing acrobatic stunts, such as spinning on the bar, horizontal holds, and one-handed balancing.
Also, at football games, drum crew members perform push-ups each time Purdue scores a touchdown. The push-ups correspond to the total score achieved at that point by the Purdue football team. The push-up tradition was started in 1994.
The Purdue band is also famous for its four Featured Twirler positions: The Golden Girl, the Girl in Black, and the Silver Twins.
When Dawson graduated, Purdue was left without a Golden Boy, but Carpenter's graduation didn't have the same effect on her title. Instead Golden Girl evolved into a movable crown that's been passed down through generations, and the position has become the standard for excellence within the twirling community.
In 1962, another solo twirler position was created to compliment the Golden Girl. June Ciampa was the first to fill this position. Dressed in Purdue's other color, black, she first performed as the International Twirler. This title was later replaced with "Girl in Black."
The position of Silver Twins twirlers was created by Al G. Wright in 1960 for identical twins, and has since been filled by twins and look-a-likes.
In 2018, the position of Miss Boilerette was added, based on the excited growth of the twirling program.
Fight Song: “Hail Purdue” is the fight song of Purdue University. The lyrics were written in about 1912 by James R. Morrison (class of 1915), and set to music by Edward S. Wotawa (class of 1912). The completed song was published in 1913, initially titled "Purdue War Song.” Until the adoption of the Purdue Hymn as university anthem in 1993, it frequently served as both fight song and alma mater, being played on ceremonial occasions such as commencements.
Purdue Hymn
Close by the Wabash
In famed Hoosier land
Stands old Purdue
Serene and Grand
Cherished in Memory
By all her sons and daughters true
Fair Alma Mater
All Hail Purdue
Fairest in all the land
Our own Purdue
Fairest in all the land
Our own Purdue
First Verse:
To Your Call Once More We Rally;
Alma Mater Hear Our Praise.
Where The Wabash Spreads Its Valley;
Filled With Joy Our Voices Raise.
From The Skies In Swelling Echoes
Come The Cheers That Tell The Tale
Of Your Vict'ries And Your Heros,
Hail Purdue! We Sing All Hail!
(Chorus)
Hail, Hail To Old Purdue!
All Hail To Our Old Gold And Black!
Hail, Hail To Old Purdue!
Our Friendship May She Never Lack.
Ever Grateful, Ever True,
Thus We Raise Our Song Anew;
Of The Days We've Spent With You,
All Hail Our Own Purdue!
Second Verse:
When In After Years We're Turning,
Alma Mater, Back To You.
May Our Hearts With Love Be Yearning
For The Scenes Of Old Purdue.
Back Among Your Pathways Winding
Let Us Seek What Lies Before;
Fondest Hopes And Aims E'er Finding,
While We Sing Of Days Of Yore.
Third Verse:
Sung only by the band at special events
In the Band we March and Swagger
As we Play for Old Purdue
At the Halftime we do Shows
No other Band on Earth Could do
When we Cheer the Earth Will Tremble
For We're Known Throughout the Land
As the Best in Marching Music,
We're the Boilermaker Band.
Grand Prix: This 50-mile, 160-lap go-kart race is "The Greatest Spectacle in College Racing" and wraps up Gala Week each year. All 33 participating karts are made from scratch by student teams. The event has been raising money for student scholarships since it began in 1958.
Hello Walk: Originally one winding walkway from the main entrance to University Hall, the Hello Walk now includes all the sidewalks that cross the Memorial Mall. As indicated by the name, people are encouraged to smile and say hello to everyone they meet along the way.
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| Old Oaken Bucket |
Purdue Exponent: Ask any group of West Lafayette students whether they've read today Exponent, and chances are you will get a resounding yes. The popular newspaper was founded in 1889 and is Indiana's largest collegiate daily newspaper, with approximately 150 student staff members.
Spring Fest: This annual two-day event draws thousands of participants each year with attractions hosted by a variety of Purdue schools and departments. Fun and interactive activities like the popular Bug Bowl showcase the lighter side of education for people of all ages. The Entomology Department's Bug Bowl is where the sport of cricket spitting was invented in 1997.
Boiler Gold Rush (BGR): This is Purdue's new-student orientation program. BGR, which takes place before each fall semester, was formed to ease the transition to college for incoming students and to help them get acquainted with successful college life. Boiler Gold Rush activities include speaker presentations from various academic, cultural, safety and professional organizations on campus, campus tours led by team leaders, academic “meet the schools” picnic and interest sessions, late night events at the Purdue Memorial Union, Recreational Sports Center and local stores, and a sports pep rally.
Purdue University Dance Marathon: This is an 18-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping, dance marathon that takes place each fall in the Cordova Recreation center. Each year over 2,000 students participate and the event raises over $1,000,000 annually for Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. PUDM is also one of the largest collegiate Dance Marathons in the country.
Breakfast Club: During this event, best described as a cross between a pep rally and a Halloween party, students and even some alumni dress up in costumes, from traditional Halloween garb to creative hand-made costumes, as they bar-hop before Boilermaker home football games. The Breakfast Club plays a significant role during the football season and is informally a part of Purdue tradition. Many Boilermaker fans are dedicated; getting up at 5 am on Saturdays and lining up at the bars on Chauncey Hill and the levee by 6 am. The Breakfast Club tradition also takes place the day of the annual Purdue Grand Prix.
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