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称的“进步时期”，之所以这样命名，是因为这一时期对在美国建设一个更美好社会的机会抱有乐观态度。改革者相信，他们可以打击腐败，解决顽固的经济和社会问题，其中一个关键因素是，他们热衷于利用科学专家作为公正的问题解决者。在赠地大学校园建立首批工程实验站，是“以研究为核心，建设美好社会”理念的一次实践。爱荷华州立农业与机械学院的迪恩·安森·马斯顿（Dean Anson Marston）等这一概念的早期倡导者认为，由于快速的城市化和工业化，这些监测站将为市政府和州政府以及感兴趣的市民所面临的问题提供公正的答案。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强调使用工具和机械的动手实践教学转向强调微积分的课程，基础研究的物理和其他科学课程。具体来说，西利博士检查了领先的工程实验站。他的研究追溯了赠地学院工程教育的一个重要组成部分的历史和发展。它还通过考察大学与这个国家其他主要科研赞助者的互动，增加了我们对研发历史的理解。特别有趣的是，鉴于目前联邦政府对工程研究的资助越来越多，他展示了资金来源的变化是如何影响空间站研究的类型和目标的。Seely博士非常有资格从事这项研究，这自然源于他在德克萨斯农工大学工程实验站所做的扎实的论文工作。此外，他已经在一些领先的电台做了深入的工作，这为他未来在这一领域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.