In the News

“Dear Sir: Since my report to you, made one year ago, quite important changes have been made in the course of instruction in this department. Two principal causes have led to these changes. They are, 1. The entire reorganization of the courses of instruction carried on at the Institute. 2. The existence of the long desired Mechanical Engineering Laboratory.” - Professor Channing Whitaker, 1874 Report to the President

Among the artifacts Professor John Hart found while moving into MechE Headquarters when he began as Department Head in the summer of 2023 were several photographs and documents capturing the earliest years of the department. This led him to the writings of Professor Channing Whitaker, S.B. 1869, in the “1874 Report to the President.” Whitaker served as head of mechanical engineering courses from 1873 to 1883.

2.150 attendees participated in lab tours, where students and faculty shared current research. Credit: Tony Pulsone

“In the report, Whitaker details a big change in the curriculum and the establishment of the department’s first lab,” shares Hart. “Around this same time, 150 years ago, we swapped numbers with Civil Engineering, and officially became Course 2.”

The study of mechanical engineering at MIT dates back to the founding of the Institute in 1861. In fact, when the first students enrolled in 1865, of the six courses offered, mechanical engineering was designated as Course 1. The reason for swapping course numbers isn’t known for sure but Hart theorized it may have been related to enrollment – at the time, civil engineering had many more students than mechanical engineering.

The founding of the Steam Lab, described earlier in this issue, marked “the beginning of the department’s close relationship with the industries for which it trained its graduates,” wrote Whitaker in the 1874 Report. Today, says Hart, “Engagement with industry is essential to our work, spanning from industry mentorship of student projects to internships and collaborative research. The early faculty and students of MechE were pioneers in this regard.”

MechE has long embraced our Course 2 moniker, and coupling this with the introduction of the first laboratory invited a celebration.

On May 14 and 15, 2024, MechE hosted a symposium to mark this period of change and showcase the department’s history and impact. The two-day long event welcomed guests from around the country, immersing them in research and education programs and – through lectures, lab tours, and events – shared a vision for the department’s future. Hundreds of alumni, friends, industry guests, and MIT community members traveled to campus, with more tuning in to watch event live streams.

The symposium, which was titled 2.150: Celebrating the history and future of Mechanical Engineering at MIT in a playful numeric nod at MIT’s course numbering system, kicked off with The R.B. Wallace Lecture in Ocean Engineering, given by Dr. Grace Young ’14, followed by the annual de Florez Competition, and the 2.007 robot competition on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, attendees enjoyed lab tours, a student awards ceremony, a keynote event with distinguished alumni panelists, and a community reception on Hockfield Court.

The keynote featured Joe Petrzelka PhD ’12, VP Starship Engineering at SpaceX, Alice Brooks ’10, Partner at Khosla Ventures and Co-founder of Roominate, and Asegun Henry PhD ’09, MIT Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Co-founder and CTO of Fourth Power. Each spoke about their career trajectories, and shared perspectives on building technologies and companies at the frontiers of the physical world.