Continued Progress on Construction of The Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering

On Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004, Purdue University broke ground on its newest engineering building and announced it will name the facility after its most famous alumnus, Neil Armstrong. "I can't imagine a more fitting name for this building that will serve as the gateway to our internationally recognized College of Engineering" said Purdue President Martin C. Jischke during Homecoming celebrations. "The Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering will be engineering's crown jewel, worthy to bear the name of the first person to walk on the moon."

Jischke also announced today that Caterpillar Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines, gave Purdue $5 million, a portion of which will complete the private fund raising needed to start construction of the $47.7 million facility. Other leading donors to the building include Purdue alumni Stephen D. Bechtel Jr., Kenneth O. Johnson (pictured below right) and Heddy Kurz, whose late husband was a Purdue alumnus. Also pictured below are Mike McCulley (far left) and Mark Brown (center). Many of Purdue's surviving astronaut alumni made gifts or had gifts made in their honor. Martha Chaffee, whose husband Roger was one of two Purdue alumni to die during a simulated test for the Apollo I mission, will give a moon rock to be housed in Neil Armstrong Hall.

  Our School of Materials Engineering will be housed on the second floor of this new building, located near the intersection of Northwestern and Stadium Avenues. This building will house the largest part of the Schools of Engineering, and will allow the School of Materials Engineering to double the undergraduate and triple the graduate enrollment to 125 and 90 students, respectively. Laboratory spaces will also grow and have space for teaching and group presentations. The three major laboratory clusters planned will hold a discussion room, teaching and research space, and office space for faculty, staff and students. Faculty size has also grown and continues to grow to accommodate the increase in student numbers. These changes will help to promote our school as a leader in materials research.

Alex King, Head of the School of Materials Engineering, believes that this new building, with its new laboratory clusters, will allow faculty and students to become more active together while becoming more knowledgable in their particular areas of research. Not only will this contribute to the quality of the student education, but will promote future researchers as well. President Jischke believes that "the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering is one of the cornerstones of Purdue's strategic plan and the university's commitment to remaining at the forefront of engineering research and education. And it will be an impressive anchor at the north entrance to the academic campus."

"I am immensely honored that a Purdue building will carry my name, but my role is merely symbolic," said Armstrong. "I believe it truly recognizes the many Purdue alumni who have been, and are, the core of the U. S. aerospace industry. Just as the university did when it launched one of the nation's first aeronautical engineering programs almost 80 years ago, Purdue is taking a bold step into the future with this new building. "Purdue prepared me, like so many others, for a career and a life that have been deeply satisfying. I am very proud to be a Boilermaker."

The building will prominently display past accomplishments of our Schools along with future endeavors, while allowing the School of Materials Engineering focus on becoming a leader in all aspects of materials engineering.

View Images of Building Progress

The Engineering Computer Network maintains webcams in several buildings. They document progress on construction projects and provide a glimpse into Purdue for those far away.