Engineering Research in Land-Grant Universities: A History of Engineering Experiment Stations

20世纪初，美国人进入了历史学家所说的进步期，这一时期因其特有的对在这个国家建立更美好社会的机会的乐观而得名。改革者相信他们能够战胜腐败并解决顽固的经济和社会问题的一个关键因素是，他们热衷于利用科学专家作为不偏不倚的问题解决者。在批地的大学校园建立第一个工程实验站，是落实研究是建设更美好社会的关键这一理念的一种体现。据爱荷华州农业与机械学院院长安森·马斯顿这样的早期概念倡导者称，这些电台将为市政和州政府以及感兴趣的公民因快速城市化和工业化而面临的问题提供不偏不倚的答案。西利博士新颖而及时的研究表明，联邦资金的涌入标志着美国工程教育逐渐从注重工具和机械使用的动手实践教学，转向强调微积分、物理和其他科学课程的课程，这些课程是基础研究的基础。具体来说，西利博士考察了领先的工程实验站。他的研究追溯了土地赠与学院工程教育的一个重要元素的历史和发展。它还通过考察大学与该国其他主要科研赞助商之间的互动，加深了我们对研发历史的理解。而且，特别有趣的是，鉴于目前联邦政府对工程学研究的资助不断增加，他展示了资金来源的变化如何影响空间站研究的类型和目标。西利博士非常有资格进行这项研究，这项研究自然源于他为德克萨斯农工大学工程实验站的论文所做的扎实工作。此外，他已经在一些领先的车站进行了深入的工作，这为他未来在这方面的工作奠定了卓越的基础。

At the start of the twentieth century, Americans entered what historians have identified as the Progressive period, so named for its characteristic optimism about the chances for building a better society in this country. A crucial element in the reformers' belief that they could defeat corruption as well as resolve stubborn economic and social problems was an enthusiasm for harnessing scientific experts as unbiased problem solvers. The establishment of the first engineering experiment stations on land-grant college campuses is one implementation of the idea of research as the key to a better society. According to such early promoters of the concept as Dean Anson Marston of the Iowa State Agricultural and Mechanical College, the stations would provide unbiased answers to the questions faced by municipal and state government and interested citizens as a result of rapid urbanization and industrialization. Dr. Seely's novel and timely study shows that the influx of federal funding marks the gradual movement of American engineering education away from an emphasis on hands-on, practical instruction in the use of tools and machinery toward a curriculum stressing calculus, physics and other science courses which undergirds basic research. Specifically, Dr. Seely examines the leading engineering experiment stations. His study traces the history and development of an important element of engineering education in land-grant colleges. It also adds to our understanding of the history of R & D by examining the interaction of universities with the other major sponsors of scientific research in this country. And, what is particularly interesting in view of currently increasing federal funding of research in engineering, he shows how shifts in the sources of funds affected both the types and goals of station research. Dr. Seely is highly qualified to undertake this study which flows naturally from the solid work that he did for his dissertation on the Texas A & M University engineering experiment station. In addition, he has already done in-depth work on a number of the leading stations which provides him with a foundation for excellence in his future work in this area.