On March 20, 1939, the Northwestern University School of Engineering, formed in 1908, became the Technological Institute through an agreement signed between Northwestern University and the Murphy Foundation. This event formalized Northwestern's receipt of the significant bequest of Walter Patten Murphy. The Technological Institute opened in 1942 and consisted of Schools of Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The Technological Institute also integrated a science component to the curriculum in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences, thereby expanding the School of Engineering's previous focus on non-science based engineering.
From the start, the Technological Institute combined traditional classroom instruction with a work-study program (The Cooperative Program) that enabled undergraduate and graduate students to gain valuable hands-on engineering work experience with participating firms. During World War II, the Technological Institute participated with the United States Navy in several important training programs, including the Naval V-12 Unit (Navy College Training Program). The Technological Institute was also involved with other military training and non-engineering activities, such as the Army Signal Corps Officers Training School. After the war, the Technological Institute enrollment was swollen with returning veterans under the G.I. Bill, and in 1946, a limit of 1,000 students was imposed to guarantee quality and manageable instruction.
From the guide to the Administrative Records of The Technological Institute, 1910-1955, (Northwestern University Archives)
