History Pratt Institute

1 history

1.1 inception
1.2 years
1.3 degree-granting status , increase in enrollment
1.4 campus reorganization
1.5 enrollment decline , financial issues
1.6 revitalization , growth
1.7 list of presidents

history
inception

charles pratt, founder of pratt institute

pratt institute founded in 1887 american industrialist charles pratt, successful businessman , oil tycoon , 1 of wealthiest men in history of brooklyn. pratt pioneer of oil industry in united states , founder of astral oil works based in greenpoint section of brooklyn leader in replacing whale oil petroleum or natural oil. in 1867, pratt established charles pratt , company. in 1874, pratt’s companies purchased john d. rockefeller , became part of standard oil trust while pratt continued run companies himself.

pratt, advocate of education, wanted provide opportunity working men , women better lives through education. though pratt never had opportunity go college himself, wanted create affordable college accessible working class. in 1884, pratt began purchasing parcels of land in affluent home town of clinton hill intention of opening school. school end being built 2 blocks charles pratt’s residence on clinton avenue.

from fortunes astral oil , charles pratt , company, in 1886 endowed , founded pratt institute. in may 1887, new york state legislature granted charles pratt charter open school; on october 17, 1887, institute opened 12 students in main hall. tuition $4 per class per term (approximately equivalent $106.6 in 2016). college 1 of first in country open people, regardless of class, color, , gender. in years, institute’s mission offer education never had offered them before. pratt sought teach people skills allow them successful , work way economic ladder. specifically, many programs tailored growing need train industrial workers in changing economy training in design , engineering. programs sought teach students variety of subjects such architectural engineering, mechanics, dressmaking, , furniture making. graduates of school taught become engineers, mechanics, , technicians. drawing, whether freehand, mechanical, or architectural, thought of being universal language, united such diverse programs , programs in school had strong foundation in drawing. in addition, curriculum @ institute complemented large liberal arts curriculum. students studied subjects such history, mathematics, physics, , literature in order better understand world in working in, still used in pratt s curriculum.

early years

enrollment grew steadily since inception. 6 months after inception school had enrollment of 600 students. first anniversary of school there 1,000 students in attendance. in 5 years time school had 4,000 students. in 1888 scientific american said of school “it undoubtedly important enterprise of kind in country, if not in world”. andrew carnegie visited pratt inspiration , used school model in developing carnegie technical schools, carnegie mellon university. @ first founders day celebration in 1888, charles pratt addressed become school’s motto: “be true work , work true you” meaning students should educate , develop diligently , go out world working hard, giving of themselves.

pratt institute kindergarten, 1905

as public interest grew in school , demand increased school began adding new programs including pratt high school, library school, music department, , department of commerce. because of overwhelming popularity of department of commerce, department broke off main institute , formed own school, under guidance of norman p. heffley, personal secretary charles pratt. heffley school of commerce, former pratt department of commerce, having shared facilities pratt evolved brooklyn law school.

in 1891, institute’s founder , first president, charles pratt, died , eldest son, charles millard pratt, assumed responsibility of president school. in 1893, charles pratt’s other son, frederic b. pratt, elected president of pratt institute taking on elder brother. because charles pratt snr. died after college founded, frederic pratt ascribed guiding college through decades. under direction of pratt’s sons, institute able thrive both financially , critically many new construction projects , course offerings. 1892, number of students enrolled 3,900. in 1897 popular major students domestic arts.

in 1896, school opened monumental victorian-renaissance revival library interiors designed tiffany decorating , glass company , sprawling gardens outside library. library available not students general public well. pratt institute library first , public library in brooklyn 15 years. additionally, library served working classroom training of librarians , cited 1 of first schools of library science. pratt institute library made available first reading room children in of new york city.

by turn of century, school of science , technology had become pratt s prestigious , known school comprised of school’s enrollment across east building on grand avenue, institute constructed new quad dedicated engineering school. constructed on period of quarter of century, chemistry, machinery, , engineering buildings constructed in same architecture style, unifying disciplines offered school. pratt had large variety of courses dedicated women during time. of 25 courses women partake in included library science, nursing, home economics, , fashion.

by 1910, of departments of institute organized individual schools including library school, school of domestic science, school of fine , applied arts, , school of science , technology.

degree-granting status , increase in enrollment

world war 1 memorial in rose garden

as world war faced nation in 1914, pratt partnered united states government aid in war effort. school of science , technology had own student army training corps taught enlistees engineering skills needed war. students designed aircraft used in war , trained operators. in 1927, mechanical engineering alumnus donald a. hall designed spirit of saint louis, used charles lindbergh in world s first transatlantic flight.

by 1938 programs @ school began offering four-year bachelor of science degrees , pratt transformed being technical school rigorous college . granting bachelor s degrees, pratt had revise curriculum being two-year school being four-year college. changes reflected new york state requirements granting degrees , stricter government , professional licensing regulations graduates. during decade, foundation program art school students founded. in 1940 pratt began granting graduate degrees.

during world war ii pratt helped in war effort did during world war engineering school training servicemen before deployed. students helped design camouflage soldiers, buildings, , weapons. following war, school saw large influx of veterans enrolling part of gi bill.

in 1940s, school of science , technology changed name school of engineering , in 1946 established own honor society mechanical engineering being popular major @ of pratt. in 1953, francis h. horn became first president of pratt not member of pratt family. enrollment continue climb throughout decade , in 1948 institute reached all-time high in attendance 6,000 students. 1950, pratt had become accredited institution middle states association of colleges , schools. in 1954, architecture department split engineering school become own school.

campus reorganization

dekalb avenue gate of enclosed campus

as part of white flight in 1950s , 1960s affected majority of new york city neighborhood of clinton hill began see transformation upper-class, affluent, white community 1 chiefly populated poor , working-class people of color. during time, pratt considered moving campus more affluent long island or manhattan , increase attractiveness decided stay @ original brooklyn campus due history , charles pratt s original mission.

as part of robert moses plan urban renewal in new york city, pratt’s physical campus saw greatest amount of change in history. prior 1950s, school located in separate buildings located on several public streets. however, after moses clearance of many of structures located between pratt s buildings, land given on school, , true campus established. ryerson street, grand avenue, steuben street, , emerson place ceased allow automobile traffic, , campus became enclosed, forming grand mall connect institute s buildings. elevated train running along grand avenue between east building/student union , engineering quad dismantled. result of new real estate, school able build several new structures, designed firm of mckim, mead & white, including men’s , women’s dormitories , new student union. in addition, moses construction projects around school helped build school of architecture. research funds granted school discover new building techniques. 1963, urban planning department formed pratt center community development in attempt revitalize pratt’s surrounding neighborhood , brooklyn.

enrollment decline , financial issues

in 1970s , continuing 1980s new york city , brooklyn still faced large amounts of crime , poverty , result enrollment fell , school began face budget deficit. prospective students , faculty felt uneasy safety of campus , community. in 1974, men s basketball team came attention of national media outlets cyndi meserve joined team becoming first woman play men s ncaa basketball. students earning architecture degrees exceeded earning mechanical engineering degrees in 1975 , architecture degrees became popular degree @ pratt, trend still exists. in anticipation of institute’s centennial anniversary in 1987, several capital improvements made campus trying restore condition of many of dilapidated buildings. grand mall re-landscaped new plantings, brick pathways, , lighting , newman amphitheater built in 1988 in celebration of hundredth anniversary. president richardson pratt jr. retired in 1990 after twenty years of serving president, becoming last president descendent of founder charles pratt.

by 1993, thomas f. schutte appointed president , has since become longest standing president overseeing institute not part of pratt family. in same year, pratt controversially closed school of engineering, integral part of founder charles pratt’s long term vision school. historically, school pratt’s successful school , many associated school engineering program. in response institute-wide decrease in enrollment , school-wide budget issues, closing school of engineering thought of being feasible option keep school’s other programs afloat , address budget. students in engineering program transferred polytechnic institute of new york university while tenured professors relocated school of architecture , science , math departments in school of liberal arts , sciences.

revitalization , growth

as result of closing costly school of engineering, school able out of debt , on track financial success. funds allocated campus-wide beautification projects , restoration , modernization of historic buildings, starting memorial hall pratt institute, treasures of new york, https://www.pbs.org/video/treasures-new-york-treasures-new-york-pratt-institute/. part of beautification projects included adding pratt institute sculpture park in 1999 contemporary art sculptures placed throughout campus lawns , gardens, making largest contemporary sculpture park in new york city. pratt began partnership munson-williams-proctor , delaware college of art , design art students study 2 years @ either campus , finish degrees @ pratt’s school of art , design in brooklyn. during 1990s school able increase enrollment twenty-five percent, approximately 3,000 students in 1990 4,000 students in 2000.

vincent a. stabile, 1940 graduate of school of engineering, donated $13 million pratt, largest donation made alumnus in college’s history, request president schutte donation used reopen school of engineering. president schutte rejected mr. stabile’s request instead allocated funds construct new residence hall named in donor’s honor. mid-1980s 2000s pratt experienced transition being commuter school become residential school through construction of new residence halls cannoneer court, pantas hall, , stabile hall.

list of presidents


^ video: pratt institute | watch treasures of new york online | wliw21 video
^ boston evening transcript - google news archive search
^ 45073 pratt mp report-part 1-intro-analysis-060912.indd
^ building of day: 375 pearl street
^ shorthand educator: monthly magazine - norman p. heffley - google books
^ walkabout: stenography , law in brooklyn
^ history of pratt, pratt institute. retrieved 8 may 2013.
^ issuu - prattfolio fall/winter 2011 generations issue pratt institute
^ brooklyn campus library | | pratt institute libraries
^ issuu - prattfolio 125th anniversary commemorative issue pratt institute
^ educational experiment, pratt s institute has grown in 25 years splendid institution 4,31 0 students . new york times. 2 june 1912. 
^ pratt institute | celebrating 125 years | pratt icons gallery | donald a. hall
^ http://www.pratt.edu/uploads/undergrad_bulletin.pdf
^ powell, michael (6 may 2007). tale of 2 cities . new york times. p. 1. 
^ http://mysite.pratt.edu/~cg520/frames_c/campus/text.txt
^ pratt center story | pratt center
^ lakeland ledger - google news archive search
^ making history, wanting play ball | portland press herald / maine sunday telegram
^ tabor, mary b. w. (13 december 1991). pratt decides end school engineers - page 2 - new york times . new york times. 
^ pratt sculpture park - gridskipper