Northwestern established a distinct degree program in engineering in 1873, 21 years after the initial founding of the University. The College of Engineering at Northwestern University closed four years later in 1877 due to lack of funding.

Photo courtesy of Northwestern University Archives

In 1909 the school reopened as Northwestern was emerging as a comprehensive, world-renowned educational institution, and University leaders realized that an engineering school would be critical to that mission. The new school, initially a department within the College of Liberal Arts, was bolstered by a major gift from the family of Chicago meatpacker Gustavus Swift, which funded the Swift Hall of Engineering.

In the mid-1920s the College of Engineering became the autonomous School of Engineering, with faculty members devoted exclusively to engineering. One of the most notable moments in the school's history came in 1939, when Walter P. Murphy, a wealthy inventor of railroad equipment, donated $6.7 million for the construction of Northwestern's Technological Institute building – known fondly to generations of McCormick alumni as Tech.

When the construction of Tech was completed in 1942, Northwestern received an additional bequest of $28 million from Walter P. Murphy's estate to provide for an engineering school "second to none." Although Murphy insisted that the school not be named for him, the cooperative engineering education program bears his name to commemorate his interest in "practical education."

Photo courtesy of Davis Brody Bond LLC

Over the next 45 years cooperative engineering education remained a constant requirement at Tech, while academic programming evolved. Developments in new fields such as materials science and biomedical engineering led to the creation of new departments. Practical studies for undergraduates were augmented by an increased focus on research and graduate education.

In 1989 the school launched a major fundraising campaign, which culminated in a $30 million gift from the McCormick Tribune Foundation. This gift enabled the development of Northwestern's groundbreaking Engineering First® curriculum and resulted in a new name for the engineering school: the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Enhancements to the school's curriculum and facilities are ongoing at McCormick. In 2005, the School opened the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center, with the support of a $10 million gift from the Ford Motor Company. This state-of-the-art facility includes classrooms, shops, design studios, meeting areas, and workrooms especially designed for team learning, collaborative projects, and computer-assisted learning.