Chemical Engineering at Purdue University

Abstract

In the open fields of Indiana, roughly equidistant between Gary and Indianapolis and built on the then navigable Wabash river, lay in the middle 19th century a small town of 4,000 inhabitants, the town of Lafayette. A trade center for northwest Indiana, the town was inhabited mostly by German and Anglosaxon farmers and traders. As a result of the 1862 Morrill Act, the General Assembly of Indiana voted in 1865 to establish a land-grant university (1). The fierce competition between various towns continued for four years with Monroe, Marion and Tippecanoe counties becoming the three finalists. Finally, the balance tilted in favor of Lafayette, mainly because of the then generous contribution of $150,000 by John Purdue, $50,000 by the Tippecanoe County and 100 acres of land from local residents. Thus, in the fourth and final ballot in the Indiana House, Tippecanoe county received 52 votes, with 17 voting for Monroe and 8 for Marion county. In the Senate questions arose and the representatives of Bloomington (Monroe county) and Indianapolis (Marion county) “stigmatized as selfish vanity for Mr. Purdue to ask that the institution be named Purdue University (1).” On May 4, 1869 Purdue’s offer was accepted with 32 to 10 votes in the Senate and 76 to 19 in the House.