A Spirit of Service

271 pages. Temps de lecture estimé 3h23min.
A Spirit of Service: Purdue University and the United States Military is a richly illustrated, comprehensive look at the intersection of this great land-grant university and the US military since classes first began in 1874. Spearheaded by the Purdue University College of Engineering in recognition of its 150th anniversary, this book examines how Purdue Boilermakers have played a consequential role in defending democracy, freedom, and independence in times of war and great duress.Pioneering Purdue contributions include more than one hundred faculty working on the Manhattan Project, learning how to better cool machine gun barrels, and making radar practical—all during World War II—as well as the transition from vacuum tubes to semiconductors, Dorothy Stratton advancing the role of women in the military, the founding of the National Society of Black Engineers, the first School of Engineering Education, the first university airport, and, most famously, Neil Armstrong, a US Navy officer and Purdue alumnus, and the first human to set foot on the moon.Today Purdue is at the forefront of drones, hypersonics, energetics, artificial intelligence, space exploration, cybersecurity, semiconductors, and much more. In fact, approximately one-third of US spaceflights have included a Boilermaker astronaut, and many of those alumni served in the military. This large number of astronauts partially stems from a Purdue–Air Force Academy program to provide advanced degrees to graduating officers. A Spirit of Service tells the stories of men and women who lived this history, from ROTC students to a Medal of Honor recipient, from soldiers at the front during the Great War to a man who witnessed the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, from a pilot who led thousands of planes in bombing missions over Germany during World War II to military astronauts, from trailblazing female officers and pilots to twenty-first-century teachers and researchers who are creating the future. This volume records the stories of Purdue men and women whose patriotism, leadership, and heroism have preserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for generations of Americans—past, present, and future.Foreword Preface PART I: 1862–1918 1. Legislation to Build a Nation 2. An “All-American” Military Band 3. Purdue Battery B, “Pancho” Villa, and the Texas-Mexican Border Profile: Benjamin Franklin Wolfe 4. The Great War Profile: Charles R. Brouse PART II: 1918–1945 5. Aeronautical Engineering Takes Off at Purdue 6. The Purdue University Airport 7. Preparing for War at Purdue 8. Two Boilermakers and a Sunday That Changed the World 9. They All Wanted in on It Profile: John F. Babbitt 10. War Research at Purdue PART III: 1946–2024 11. The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act 12. Purdue, the Military, and Space 13. A Team Like No Other: Six National Championships 14. Change 15. Women Get Their Opportunity in the Military Profile: Major (Ret.) Heather Penney 16. Navy Enlisted Scientific Education Program and Purdue 17. ROTC at Purdue Profile: Lieutenant General (Ret.) Christopher P. Weggeman 18. Support for Military Service Members and Families 19. Purdue Global, Purdue University Online, and the Military 20. Graduate Degrees for U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Australian Air Force Members 21. Purdue Military Research Institute (PMRI) Graduate Degrees for Active Military Officers 22. National Security Technology Research Notes Index About the Author