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

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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF ARMOUR ARMOUR—PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Without parade or display Armour, for tho past forty years, has rendered dis- tinguished service, not alono in Engineering but in other fields. The first president was a notable citizon of Chicago and the nation; an eloquent preacher, a patron of art. Armour's leading professor of mechanical engineering, now emeritus, contributed in successive editions an authoritative work on Power Plant Engineering used through- out the land. It is beliovod that the first instruction in Aerodynamics and Airplane Design was offored here; our graduates did important aeronautical work in the world war. From our Electrical Laboratory, Leo De Forest sent one of the earliest radio messages ever transmitted. In 1908. Armour started the first unit operation laboratory work ever offered in chemical engineering. Our fir© protection engineering course is unique. Members of our architectural staff did distinctive work designing and executing artistic feature- at A Contury of Progress, and our diroctor has for some timo boen doing important reasoarch into Midwest Pioneer Architecture. An Armour profossor made the lens f;r the Arcturus ceremony at the Fair. Armour alumni have also brought great credit to its name. One of our most active alumni trustees is an outstand ing architect and buildor. An alumnus, now state architect, designed the Illinois Host Building at A Century of Progress; before that, ho had been president of the Amorican Institute of Architects. In a recent authoritative History of Modern Architects, two brothers, both Armour men. we e listed as leaders in this field; other graduates have done distinctive work in architecture, modeling, color, and design. A holder of three Armour degrees, whose outstanding scholarship in the higher reaches of engineering and pure science is universally recognized, has made important contributions to human knowledge as collaborator with Dr. Michelson at Mount Wilson Observatory. A prominent alumnus was tho first successful producer of malt sugar and responsible for the business success of the company utilizing the product. Another, head of one of the largest metal companies in tho United States, has dovolopod processes for recovery of pure metal from rcrap. An Armour graduate was member of the committee o: three who selected the foreign patents taken over by the Chomical Foundation during the War. The State Highway Engineer, and the Chief Engineer of the Sanitary District are Armour men. as were the late City Engineer, and a former president of tho Board of Local Improvements who performed notable public service tn constructing the Wacker Drive. Alumni, who aro also trustees, have respectively the following services to their crodit: Design and erection of important buildings; directing important engineering construction.- manufacturing executive; patent attorney: invention and commercial promotion of the teletype; direction of research and development for the Peoples Gas: invention and promotion of various devices for protecting electric circuits; head of important industrial engineering firm which has reorganized many governmental agencies throughout the United States and thus greatly improved the public sorvlce. Thoso aro but samplos of Armour achievement. Bringing the story down to dato, basic scientific and engineering training at Armour has nover been on a higher lovol than now. Instruction has been and is being subjected to careful scrutiny to make sure it is serving the ends contemplated. The curriculum has been materially broadened and some of the typical engineering subjects, as for example. Shops, have been reorganized in accordance with the best leadership in Engineering Education. Members of our faculty are occupied with research projects of groat promise. Tho important question now is, where Armour is going and what is its oquipmont for the journey. From the stand- point of teaching and rosoarch, thero can be no question of Armour's fitness to undertake the tasks ahead. Physically, we still require considerable refurbishing in order to accomplish our objectives. Wo are therefore setting ourselves the task of locating in Chicago's front yard, whore we may have the advantage of the best possible sur- roundings and the inspiration of Chicago's unrivaled Lako Front. The task we are undertaking is a largo one. but the foundations upon which we are building are laid securely in Armour's past history and achievement. The super- structure wo propose to build has started with an open minded critical review of our present activities. It is essential that every member of the new structure be designed to carry its load and to endure all the stresses to which it will be subjected in the rigid operating tost incident to its future service to engineering, to education, and to mankind. 15