Penn State's contribution to the training of engineers since the University's designation as the Commonwealth's land-grant institution, 1863, is presented here in national perspective. After a slow beginning-the first engineering course listed in 1868-69, the first engineering department (civil) founded in 1881, the first engineering degree granted in 1884-came a century of steady and varied growth. A mechanical engineering department was added in 1886-87, and an engineering building was completed in 1893 concurrent with the founding of mining and electrical engineering departments. For the next forty years, Penn State awarded more degrees in engineering than in any other field.

In 1895 Penn State was organized into seven schools, four in the arts and sciences together with Agriculture, Mining, and Engineering. From the last three have come today's comprehensive engineering education programs administered chiefly by the College of Engineering, and also (in respect to petroleum, natural gas, and minerals) by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and (in the case of agricultural engineering) jointly with the College of Agriculture.

Engineering education at Penn State is depicted in the context of state and national industrial development and of institutional responses to changing manpower needs.