Purdue is one of the largest public universities in Indiana. The university was founded in 1869 as a result of the
MorrillAct signed by
AbrahamLincoln in 1862. The first classes were held in 1874 in University Hall, in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Purdue, as all land grant institutions, was founded as a school specializing in Agriculture and Engineering (as well as other "mechanical arts"). Today, however, Purdue has schools specializing in Science, Pharmacy, Liberal Arts, Business, Technology, and several other disciplines.
The university is named after
JohnPurdue - the man who donated money, and much of the original land that would become the campus. A memorial to
JohnPurdue is located in front of the oldest building on campus, University Hall.
Some famous Purdue alumni include
NeilArmstrong (first man to walk on the moon),
GusGrissom,
OrvilleRedenbacher (yes, the popcorn guy),
JohnWooden (aka the
WizardOfWestwood),
BobGriese,
LenDawson,
GeorgeAde (for which half of the Purdue football stadium,
RossAdeStadium, is named),
BoothTarkington (writer), and
EugeneCernan (the last man to walk on the moon).
Purdue students, alumni, and athletic teams are nicknamed the
BoilerMakers. The origins of this nickname date back to the early 1900s, when
WabashCollege was Purdue's main rival. After soundly beating the Wabash football team, the writers of a Crawfordsville, Indiana, (where
WabashCollege is located) newspaper used the term as a derogatory description of the the Purdue football team.
Purdue is a charter member of the
BigTen Conference. Purdue has the winningest basketball program of all time in the
BigTen. The
BoilerMakers have won 21
BigTen Championships - more than any other school (including
IndianaUniversity, who has 19). Purdue also has a winning record against every other
BigTen school (including
IndianaUniversity - 105 wins, 75 losses as of 2/02/01). Behind 3 time All-American,
JohnWooden, the Boilers won the National Championship in 1932.
http://www.purdue.edu
http://www.purduesports.com
http://www.mrhoops.com
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JohnCampbell
CategoryCollege