|
Heads
of the department
| Robert
H. Richards |
1873-1914 |
| Heinrich
O. Hofman |
1915-1920 |
| Waldemar
Lindgren |
1920-1927 |
| W.
Spencer Hutchinson |
1927-1937 |
| Robert
S. Williams |
1937-1946 |
| John
Chipman |
1946-1962 |
| Thomas
B. King |
1962-1972 |
| Carl
F. Floe |
1972-1973
(acting head) |
| Walter
S. Owen |
1973-1982 |
| Merton
C. Flemings |
1982-1995 |
| Thomas
W. Eagar |
1995-2000 |
| Subra
Suresh |
2000-2006 |
| Edwin L. Thomas |
2006- |
Massachusetts
Institute of Technology's Department of Materials Science and Engineering
developed from courses given in mining and metallurgy. A course
in geology and mining, Course III, was offered when MIT opened in
1865. In 1871 the course was renamed geology and mining engineering,
and in 1873 a separate course, Course VI, was offered in metallurgy.
In 1884 metallurgy was reabsorbed into Course III which became the
Department of Mining and Metallurgy. In 1889 the name changed again
to the Department of Mining Engineering and Metallurgy, and in 1892
geology was made a separate department.
In
1920 geology rejoined Course III and the name changed to the Department
of Mining, Metallurgy, and Geology. In 1926 geology was again separated,
and the department's name became mining and metallurgy.
In
1936 mining and metallurgy were split into two departments and the
following year the decision was made to discontinue mining engineering
as of 1940. After a few years as Course XIX, the Department of Metallurgy
was again designated Course III. Mineral engineering was assigned
to the Department of Metallurgy, and mineral resources to the Department
of Geology. In 1967 the department name changed to the Department
of Metallurgy and Materials Science and in 1974 it became the Department
of Materials Science and Engineering.
Prepared
by the Institute Archives, MIT Libraries
October 1995; updated December 2005
|