Thomas Clement (BSME '58), the first Purdue Engineering student to ever go on an official co-op, kept detailed journals of his time at Ford Motor Company.

Thomas Clement was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan in 1931. He grew up during the Great Depression and had to work multiple jobs to help support his family. After moving to Crane, Indiana Tom decided to enroll in the Army and was assigned the 101’st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles” at Camp Breckenridge. Tom was one of two privates to be offered an appointment at West Point Academy based on his scores during routine IQ testing. Unfortunately, during basic training he was found to have a heart condition which led to his Honorable Discharge. After he was discharged, Tom went on to work as a draftsman at General Motors. However, after noticing his colleagues advancing ahead of him, he enrolled in Purdue University to earn his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

During his time at Purdue, he was part of the Theta Tau fraternity and Pi Tau Sigma, an international honor society for mechanical engineers. His struggle to pay tuition is what pushed him to enroll in Purdue’s Co-op program, where he became the program’s first student.

The Co-op Program was created in 1954 by mechanical engineering professor Frederick Morse. As part of the program, students alternate semesters between classroom learning at Purdue and working in industry. It’s an opportunity for students to earn real-world experience, foster relationships with industry, and receive a salary for their work.

“There are many advantages to a co-op,” said Joe Tort, Associate Director for the Office of Professional Practice, which now administers the co-op program. “Co-op is a transcript-recorded experience, allowing students to apply classroom learning to real-life challenges in industry. In a co-op students will spend multiple academic terms with the same employer, allowing them to dive deeper into their work, build trust with their employer, and develop connections that cannot be made during a short-term summer internship. Students maintain full-time status at Purdue even during their work sessions — which means they get a salary, but they also still qualify for student insurance and financial aid. We see hundreds of students complete co-op each year and regularly meet with co-op alums who have quickly progressed to leadership positions in their companies; that’s why Purdue consistently ranks among the top 10 schools in the country for internships and co-ops. It gives students a huge advantage in the job market and leads to more rapid advancement once employed.”

Dear diary

While in the co-op program, Tom Clement worked at Ford Motor Company for five semesters between 1953 and 1958. He worked in a range of positions during his time at Ford, from research and development to layout design. We know all this because Tom’s plan-of-study and work reports from the 1950s still exist.

“Tom’s son-in-law Victor Baiardi emailed us back in October suggesting that Tom was the first ever co-op student,” said Jennifer Strickland, Assistant Director of Co-op Programs and Student Development. “After verifying it was true, Victor sent us Tom’s plan-of-study, work reports, student IDs, diploma, and even his class notes!”

Thomas Clement kept track of everything during his time at Purdue, from his class notes to his co-op experiences at Ford Motor Company. These journals were kept in storage for nearly 70 years.

Having access to these first-hand accounts allowed us to take a deeper look into the life of the first co-op student. In February of 1955, Tom was an engineer trainee, the only co-op student in the plant engineering section. As a trainee, he interviewed personnel, compiled estimates and proposal drawings, and contacted outside contractors. In his work report he stated, “I feel that this work period has given me broader knowledge in the practical application of courses I have taken at Purdue.”

Tom also spent time in the engine design drafting department where one of his projects was to design lock washers for Ford’s 1956 models. His designs were later approved and became available to the public. He wrote in his work report, “I had many opportunities to sit in on meetings with project engineers, design draftsmen, and pattern makers who were discussing engineering changes and design problems.”

One of Tom’s bigger projects was working as a project engineer on the Lincoln engine. He worked on the design and development of the oil pump, vacuum pump, oil pan, ventilation system, lubrication system and oil level indicator. The most significant problem he worked on was the development of a rotary vacuum pump, which was relatively new to the automotive industry. It took a lot of time and energy but eventually Tom and others were able to produce a solution. He stated, “Being present at several of these discussions gave me an opportunity to see engineering ethics in practice. A crash program was organized, and the wheels of a big business began to spin…During all of this I had a front row seat from which I could observe all activities.”

After five semesters of industry experience, Tom wrote in his final work report, “In conclusion, I would like to say that my experience with the co-op program has been very enlightening. It is felt that a deeper feeling for engineering has been gained. I would recommend this program to anyone who is interested in learning both sides of the engineering profession.”

After graduation, Tom went to work at Ford Motor Company full time. Just some of the incredible work he did include designing the 302-engine platform, developing coolant technologies, and proposing and implementing his innovation of Turbocharging for Fuel Economy, which is now known as EcoBoost.

Purdue pioneer

Sadly, Thomas Clement passed away on December 6, 2023, just twelve days before his 92nd birthday. To honor his place in Purdue Engineering history, Tom will be posthumously inducted into the Professional Practice Hall of Fame on October 18, 2024.

“It’s been a privilege to learn about Tom’s experience in the co-op program and to hear how much he benefited from it,” Strickland stated. “I think it’s really special we have these artifacts and can look back on a time when the co-op program was just beginning,”

“We would love to pay our respects to Tom as an alum who helped get the program started,” said Tort. “The co-op program has tremendously enhanced Purdue’s reputation and has made a lasting impact on thousands of lives.”

Thomas Clement at a recent airshow at Willow Run Airport in Michigan. His family is thrilled to celebrate Thomas' place in Purdue's history.

Writer: Julia Davis, juliadavis@purdue.edu