History

Over a Century of Excellence

For more than 100 years, Purdue's Davidson School of Chemical Engineering has turned curious students into world-changing engineers.

School of Chemical Engineering History

The BSChE curriculum was approved on April 26, 1907, though the Board of Trustees didn't formally approve the School's founding until June 14, 1911. In 2011, the School markaed its Centennial Celebration Year, honoring 100 years of chemical engineering education at Purdue.

The Chemical Engineering building was built in 1939. The building was renamed to Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering in 2004, following a $20-million expansion made possible by an anchor gift from Robert (BSChE ‘ 47, PhD ChE ’50, HDR ’81) and Marilyn (BSChE ’47) Forney.

In 2016, the School was renamed the Charles D. Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, following a $20 million gift from Charles "Chuck" Davidson (BSChE '72) and his wife, Nancy — the largest gift in the School's history

The Story Behind Our School's Name

A School Renamed: The Davidson Legacy

After graduating from Purdue, Davidson earned his master's degree in management from the University of Texas at Dallas, where he and Nancy met, and built a career spanning more than 30 years in oil and gas exploration and development. The couple's civic involvement in Houston has included the Boy Scouts of America, the Society for the Performing Arts, and Spindletop International. "People down the road will have no idea who we were," Davidson said, "but they will know that someone cared enough to make an investment in their future."