Stevens Institute of Technology

Establishment & the Stevens Family (1868-1870) Main article: Stevens family Edwin Stevens In 1868, Edwin Augustus Stevens died. In his will, he left a bequest for the establishment of an "institution of learning," providing his trustees with land and funds. [ 18 ] Edwin's will was executed by surviving wife, Martha Bayard Stevens , who would also serve as a lifetime Trustee of the institute that now bears the family's name. [ 19 ] Martha and her brother, Samuel Bayard Dod, are responsible for much of the organization for the institute including the hiring of the first president, Henry Morton . Dod became the first President of the Board of Trustees serving until his death in 1907. [ citation needed ] The land now occupied by Stevens Institute of Technology was purchased at public auction by John Stevens in 1784. [ 20 ] John Stevens was a Revolutionary War Colonel, Continental Congressman , first Treasurer of New Jersey , father of American patent law , steamboat and rail locomotive engineer, and father to Edwin. [ 21 ] John built his estate on Castle Point , the Stevens Castle which served as the home to the Stevens family until 1917 when the building was offered to the U.S. Government for WW1 while the family resided in another building on the estate. [ 22 ] The Stevens Mansion was then acquired by the university and used as an administrative building until 1959 when the Wesley J. Howe Center was built on its location. [ citation needed ] The Stevens family - "America's First Family of inventors" - was influential in founding the university, its early leadership as trustees, and the institute's surrounding community, Hoboken. [ 23 ] Edwin A. Stevens' bequest totaled a city block's worth of land, $150,000 for the construction of a building, and a $500,000 endowment. [ citation needed ]

Stevens Institute of Technology opened in 1870, offering a rigorous engineering curriculum grounded in scientific principles and the humanities. [ 20 ] The original course of study was a single, rigorous curriculum based upon the European Polytechnic model of engineering science (following the French and German scientific and polytechnic schools), rather than the shop schools that were common at that time. [ 20 ] The original degree offered was the mechanical engineer (M.E.), in addition to a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, chemistry and physics. Stevens granted several doctoral degrees between 1870 and 1900, making it one of the earliest Ph.D.-granting institutions in the United States. [ 24 ] The broad-based interdisciplinary philosophy was put into practice by the founders from the first graduating class. Despite the title of the degree and concentration in mechanical engineering, the curriculum included courses in all engineering disciplines of the time: mechanical, civil, chemical and electrical. In 1880, Robert H. Thurston , professor of mechanical engineering, was nominated the first president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers . [ 25 ] The campus was situated at the periphery of the family estate at Castle Point in Hoboken. It occupied a single building now designated Edwin A. Stevens Hall , which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. [ 26 ] Stone designs on the building's facade are believed to be derived from a pattern repeated in the floor mosaic of Hagia Sophia , the great cathedral in Istanbul, which Edwin Stevens is believed to have visited in the late 19th century.

Stevens has continued to grow since the turn of the millennium, expanding its enrollment, facilities, partnerships and research programs. The university's collaborations with industry and government include numerous grant awards, contracts and collaborative projects, as well as two National Centers of Excellence designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense. Since 2010, undergraduate enrollment has increased 67 percent and full-time graduate enrollment has increased 73 percent. [ 36 ] Stevens has adapted and expanded to accommodate that growth, with a focus on modernizing campus facilities and infrastructure. Under the 2012–22 university strategic plan, Stevens made AV and IT upgrades to 100 percent of its classrooms. [ 36 ] Improvements also included two new anchor facilities. The Gateway Academic Center, an 89,500-square-foot teaching and research facility, opened in 2019. [ 37 ] In 2022, Stevens opened the University Center Complex, providing residential housing for approximately 1,000 students, as well as a campus hub with meeting, collaboration, event spaces, a fitness center and dining facilities. [ 38 ] Stevens has also focused on increasing access and opportunity for students from underrepresented groups. Among undergraduates, there was a 98 percent increase in women and 149 percent increase in the number of underrepresented minorities between 2011 and 2021. [ 36 ] Initiatives developed to provide financial, academic and professional development support for students – including the Accessing Careers in Engineering and Science (ACES), [ 39 ] A. James Clark Scholars [ 40 ] and Lawrence T. Babbio Pinnacle Scholars [ 41 ] programs – have played a role in this growth. In recognition of the progress Stevens made through its strategic plan, the American Council on Education presented the university with its 2018 ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation.

The award is given to "institutions that have responded to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieved dramatic changes in a relatively brief period." [ 42 ] Stevens was named one of the healthiest campuses in the nation by Active Minds, a national nonprofit dedicated to student wellness. [ 43 ] It has also been recognized for its commitments to environmental sustainability, including receiving the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) STARS Gold Rating in 2020. [ 44 ] In 2021, Stevens announced it would source 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy starting in that year's fall semester. [ 45 ] In April 2021, Stevens became one of the first higher education institutions in the United States to require COVID-19 vaccination not only for students, but also faculty and staff. [ 46 ] In December 2021, the university announced it would require all students, faculty and staff to receive the COVID-19 booster vaccine to be compliant with the rule. [ 47 ]