Getting Started, Surviving And Thriving: A Brief History Of The Division Of Technology, Culture, And Communication In The School Of Engineering And Applied Science

The idea of professional engineers who are well-trained technically, humanistically oriented, and conscious of their social obligations, is not a new one, although there is much more focus on creating “well-rounded” engineers in present day engineering education. In the early twentieth century, deans and distinguished professors at the University of Virginia sought to broaden the education of engineers by creating an “Engineering English Division” in the Engineering School. This paper will give a brief overview of the history of the Division and how it managed to survive and prosper for the last sixty-plus years in spite of hard times and short-sighted critics.