1890       The second Morrill Act was enacted by the federal government, which funded the establishment of an Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Colored Race in North Carolina.  The North Carolina General Assembly ratifies an act, which establishes an Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Colored Race in North Carolina. The Board of Trustees is given the task of selecting a permanent site in a city to be selected. The University’s College of Engineering grows out of what was known as the Mechanics Arts Division.

1893          Greensboro is selected as the permanent site for the college.

1896       First Mechanical Arts building erected. The building is later given the name Crosby Hall.

1902       College establishes departments of Agriculture and Chemistry, Mechanic Arts, and Industries.

1915          Name of institution changed to the Negro Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina by an act of the General Assembly.

1918       Program leading to Bachelors of Science in Mechanic Arts established.

1920       An appropriate curriculum for Electrical Engineering is approved.  An academic department is added to the college curriculum.

1921          Bachelors of Science in Engineering awarded.

1922       Four-year curricula for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering established.

1929          The Mechanics Arts Division becomes the School of Mechanical Arts.

1931       Dean for School of Mechanical Arts named.

1940       Alexander Graham Building to house School of Mechanic Arts dedicated.

1945       Period of growth in School of Mechanical Arts follows World War II.

1952       Architectural, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering programs are now in place.

1953       Cherry Engineering Building erected.

1957       General Assembly redefined the purpose of university.

Name changed to Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina.

1959       College fully accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

1967       Name changed to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

1968       School of Engineering established.  School of Engineering begins development of working relationships with government and industry.

1969       School of Engineering accredited by Engineering Council for Professional Development.

1970       Master of Engineering degree program initiated.

Herman Fox, P.E, a 1966 graduate of the Architectural Engineering Department, became the first African-American licensed as a professional engineer in North Carolina by national examination. 

1971          School of Engineering attains membership in the Association of Schools in Engineering.

1972          North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University becomes a constituent institution of the 16-unit University of North Carolina System.

1974       W. E. “Blue” Jenkins, an Architectural Engineering Alumnus of the College of Engineering, designs the original Williams Cafeteria.

                Establishment of M.S. programs in Architectural, Electrical, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering, replacing the M.S.E. program that was initiated in 1970.

        Accreditation of B.S. programs in architectural, electrical, and mechanical engineering by ABET

1976       Industrial Engineering Department established.

Rockwell Solid State Electronics Laboratory (involving cooperative efforts of several universities, corporations, and federal government agencies), resulting in the selection of Rockwell International for the CIT Foundation Award for innovative contributions to higher education.

1978       Industry Advisory Group, consisting of top-level engineering representatives of 26 corporations for the purpose of developing strong ties between SOE and industry.

1979       Ronald McNair selected for astronaut program.

Participation in 1979 (as one of the founding members) in the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina, bringing together five NC universities, the State of North Carolina, and the corporate sector in an ambitious ($100,000,000) program to support educational needs and industrial growth.

1980       Industrial Engineering Department first accredited by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)

1982       Establishment of research linkages between SOE and two Egyptian universities

Establishment of the only facility in North Carolina to perform efficiency certification tests on solar collectors

1984       Ronald McNair circles the earth in Challenger Space Shuttle.

1985       Chemical Engineering Department established.

1986       Ronald McNair dies in Challenger explosion.

Grant of $2.25 million from Office of Naval Research for Composite Materials Research.

Civil Engineering Department established.

Initiated a joint Ph.D. program with North Carolina State University.

Significant increase in SOE faculty research efforts amounting to approximately $2,000,000 in sponsored research funding (compared to $150,000 in 1974).

Establishment of the Energy Analysis and Diagnostic Center

1987       Ronald McNair Engineering Building dedicated.

Establishment of the Center for Energy Research and Training

1988       National Aeronautics and Space Administration funds $3.6 million Space Technology Development and Utilization Program.

Establishment of the Mars Mission Research Center in collaboration NCSU

1989       $2.5 million grant awarded by National Science Foundation to conduct telecommunications research.

1990       Multi-million dollar Center for Composite Materials Research established.

University established as lead Institution in 5.5 million-research contract from NASA.

1991       $600,000 Microelectronic Fabrication Laboratory established.

School of Engineering partners with School of Agriculture to create an interdisciplinary program in Agricultural Engineering.

Chemical Engineering department accredited.

1992       Civil Engineering program first accredited by ABET.

Computer Science Department was established in the School of Engineering 

1993       Computer Science Program accredited by the Computer Science Accreditation Board (CSAB) PH. D programs approved on Oct. 16 1993  by UNC Board of Governors

1994       School of Engineering becomes the College of Engineering.

First Ph.D. candidates in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering enrolled.

1998       First Doctoral Degrees Granted in Engineering; Two in Mechanical Engineering, and Two in Electrical Engineering.

2000          Additional Interdisciplinary programs established at University.

Industrial Engineering Ph.D. program established.

2001       First female Ph.D. engineering student graduates (Mechanical Engineering).

2004       Graduated 21 Engineering Ph.D.s at May 2004 convocation.

N.C. A&T’s Carnegie Classification enhanced to Doctoral Research Intensive.

New undergraduate program in Computer Engineering started.

2005       Master’s in Computational Science & Engineering begins.

2 New Ph.D. Programs start in fall of 2005: Energy & Environmental Studies and Leadership Studies.