History of NYU and Brooklyn Poly
What is now the New York University Tandon School of Engineering began in 1854 as Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute. It has a wide variety of colloquial names like Brooklyn Poly, Polytechnic, or PIB for short. In fact, the school has officially had seven different names since 1854. The large variety of nicknames for the school represents the wide variety of names and identities that the school has had. However, between 1899 and 1973 (the timeframe of this exhibit), the official name of the school was the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. Although undergoing a large variety of name changes throughout its history, the school maintained a strong reputation for providing engineering education. Throughout the 1930s to the 1950s, the militarization and industrialization of the United States promoted demand for engineers within aerospace, biotech, and construction industries. This surge in demand was great for Polytechnic's reputation and by 1954, Polytechnic became the largest engineering school in the country (Thorsen 3). It had become one of the most famous schools in the country as it was an institution that so many World War II veterans had attended under the G.I. bill (Thorsen 3). The school created research centers like the Microwave Research Institute, the Polymer Research Institute, and the Aerodynamics Laboratory that enabled them to be recognized by the National Science Foundation as one of the five Centers of Excellence in 1965 (Thorsen 4).
New York University (NYU) began in 1831 when Albert Gallatin, the Secretary of the Treasury, proposed the idea of a university in New York City. Initially established as the University of the City of New York (UCNY), NYU first opened its doors to students in 1832. Throughout the 19th century, the University experienced significant hardship as seen with its undergraduate enrollment that never exceeded 150 students (“A Brief History of New York University”). In 1896, the university underwent a significant transformation and adopted its current name, New York University. However, by the early 20th century, NYU had begun to attract international students as it became viewed as one of the best schools in New york. During the 1940s and 1950s, NYU was known for its programs in law, medicine, and business, and became recognized as a leading research institution in these fields (“A Brief History of New York University”).