1855
Agricultural College of the State of Michigan founded in East Lansing
1857
Classes begin
1861
College renamed the State Agricultural College of Michigan
1862
Passage of Morrill Land-Grant College Act establishes colleges of agriculture and mechanic arts1885
College renamed Michigan Agricultural College
Original Mechanical Laboratory designed by Rolla Carpenter and constructed
1888
First undergraduate degrees granted to four engineering students
1892
Student chapter of Tau Beta Pi is founded by Lancaster P. Breckenridge
1901
College renamed Michigan State Agricultural College
Departments of Civil and Electrical Engineering are established, with master's degrees available in Electrical Engineering
1902
Master's program in Civil Engineering established
First Senior Engineering Society organized to discuss mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. Weekly meetings held; papers read and discussed
1907
The State Board of Agriculture begins awarding professional degrees in mechanical, civil and electrical engineering for those engineers who have five years of practical service in the field
George Bissel is appointed as the first Dean of Engineering
1908
Engineering Hall is dedicated
1909
College renamed Michigan Agricultural College
Division of Engineering is established with departments in civil engineering, drawing and design, mechanical engineering, physics and electrical engineering
1916
Engineering Building and Mechanical Building destroyed by fire
1917
R. E. Olds Hall of Engineering is built on the old foundation of the former Engineering Building
1918
War Service work begins; Student Army Training Corps for auto mechanics is established
1924
Engineering Experiment Station established
1925
College renamed Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science
1927
Michigan's first rural electrical power line, reaching from Mason to Dansville, is placed in service with the cooperation from the college
1932
Ethel V. Lyon is the first female granted permission to enroll in engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering joins the Division of Engineering
1936
Seven academic departments receive accreditation that is continuous to the present
1940
Flat fee system adopted by college
1946
First PhD awarded to Lawrence B. Hein, Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering
Doctoral Program in Electrical Engineering approved
1947
The Electrical Engineering Building is constructed (now the Computer Center)
1948
Dedication of Farrall Hall, the agricultural engineering building (now called Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering BAE)
First annual College of Engineering Exposition
H. B. Dirks retires and Lorin G. Miller, chairperson of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, appointed dean
1949
Department of Metallurgy established
1950
JETS, Junior Engineering Training for Schools, is organized
1951
Department of Applied Mechanics established
1953
L. G. Miller retires and J. D. Ryder, head of Electrical Engineering at University of Illinois, appointed dean
Department of Applied Mechanics, Oldsmobile Display
1954
Doctoral Program in Civil Engineering approved
1955
Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science renamed as Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science
1956
The MSU Computer Laboratory was created to provide centralized academic computing functions
1957
MSU's first computing system, called Michigan State Integral Computer (MISTIC), began operation
Left to right: Lawrence W. Von Tersch and Julian Kateley working on the MISTIC computer
1958
Engineering Experiment Station renamed Division of Engineering Research
1962
Engineering Building is constructed where it is now, 428 S. Shaw Lane
1963
Tau Beta Pi dedicates seven-foot replica of society's symbol, The Bent, to chapter founder Lester P. Breckenridge
1964
Engineering program reduced to 180 hours including Natural Science and Physical Education
Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science renamed as Michigan State University
1966
Engineering Science program established
1968
J. D. Ryder retires, Lawrence W. Von Tersch, associate dean, appointed dean
1969
Department of Computer Science established and graduate program approved
MiSTriga reactor becomes operational
1971
Material Science graduate degree program approved
1973
Engineering Arts major approved
Society of Women Engineering student chapter established
1975
Engineering Cooperative Education Program established
1978
A. H. Case Center for Computer-Aided Engineering and Manufacturing established
1981
MSU purchases Jolly Road Research Facility
Department of Civil and Sanitary Engineering renamed Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
1988
Dedication of Research Complex - Engineering
Ground breaking ceremony for Engineering Building addition and renovation
Composite Materials and Structures Center established
1989
Lawrence W. Von Tersch retires, Theodore A. Bickart, Dean of Engineering at Syracuse University, appointed dean
$34.5 million addition and renovation to the Engineering Building adds 167,000 square feet of space
The Crop and Food Bioprocessing Center established
1990
MSU purchases Hulett Road Research Facility
1997
$14 million, 46,000 square foot addition to the Engineering Building from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Institute for Materials Research
1998
Theodore Bickart retires, George Van Dusen named acting dean
1999
Janie Fouke, division director, Bioengineering and Environmental Systems at the National Science Foundation, is appointed dean
2005
Janie Fouke leaves MSU to become provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Florida, Satish Udpa is appointed dean
2013
Satish Udpa named MSU executive vice president for administrative services, Leo Kempel, associate dean for research, is named acting dean
Construction began in June 2013 on the 130,000-square-foot Bio Engineering Facility to house interdisciplinary research on biomedical sciences and engineering
2014
Leo Kempel is appointed dean
MSU establishes Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME)
2015
Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering established
2016
MSU's new $69.8 million Bio Engineering Facility opens
2021
MSU’s new STEM Teaching and Learning Facility opens
2022
William A. Demmer Engineering Center opens to student groups
2023
MSU's Society of Women Engineers celebrates 50 years
2024
Technology Engineering added to degree program offering
