Armour Institute of Technology - Cycle Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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, .THE. j2bL --- CYCLE.. Shi’ Institute To understand an institution, to read its history rightly and interpret correctly the developments within it, an insight into its character is of prime importance. A college, in particular, can be appreciated in the fullest measure only when its individuality is made to stand out from the pages of its chronicles. Armour Institute of Technology, a college of engineering,—so does the world know the Institute. And the courses of instructions—the degrees conferred— the enrollment from year to year, are matters of record to be readily learned from the bulletins. But the vital interest back of the facts and the changes lies in the characteristics of the college revealed through them. Twenty years have stamped Armour as an exponent of progress. Among the colleges ever ready to advance the cause of practical science, to take the lead in spreading worthy technical movements, and even to assume the initiative by introducing new courses to the fechnical educational world, A. I. T. must always be classed with the foremost. Changing conditions in the industrial and educational fields have been promptly realized and in- telligently met, with no hesitation induced by false sentiment. In the spring of 1910 the Armour Scientific Academy graduated its last class. During its existence the Academy had fulfilled its purpose admirably. But changes had come about. The College of Engineering was pressed for space. The Board of Education of Chicago had provided technical high schools splendidly equipped for preparatory work. The deduction was logi- cal, and the move pointed out as the way of progress was made. The curriculum of the Institute abounds in evidence of the strong char- acter of the college. Many are the courses in Architecture offered through- out the United States, but so strong a combination as that afforded by the co-operation between Armour and the Art Institute is unique among them all. And the union which developed the Art Institute course in Architecture into the Chicago School of Architecture, was effected only two years after the founding of Armour Institute of Technology. In 1901, when the course in Chemical Engineering was added, there were but two or three other courses of like nature offered in the country, and even today only ten colleges schedule Chemical Engineering. These ten colleges are all among the most promi- nent engineering colleges of the nation, and Armour leads them and the world in equipment for industrial laboratory work. For ten years A. I. T. has stood alone, graduating students from the only existing four year course in Fire Protection Engineering. An industrial demand led to the establishment of this branch of study, in which the Under- writers Laboratories of Chicago co-operate with the Institute. Professor Taylor is the father of the course which has gained substantial recognition in the industrial world. To show that the distinction of inaugurating a new branch of technical work was not due to chance opportunity, the college has