Illinois Institute of Technology facts for kids
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Former names
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Armour Institute (1890–1940) Lewis Institute (1895–1940) |
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| Motto | Transforming Lives. Inventing the Future. |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | 1890 (first predecessor) April 23, 1940 (merged school) |
| Accreditation | HLC |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $304 million (2021) |
| President | Raj Echambadi |
| Provost | Kenneth T. Christensen |
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Academic staff
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659 |
| Students | 6,943 (Fall 2022) |
| Undergraduates | 3,125 (Fall 2022) |
| Postgraduates | 3,818 (Fall 2022) |
| Location |
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United States
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| Campus | Large city, 120 acres (48.6 ha) |
| Newspaper | TechNews |
| Colors | Red and gray |
| Nickname | Scarlet Hawks |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division III — Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference |
| Mascot | Talon the Hawk |
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Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), often called Illinois Tech, is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its history goes back to 1890. The university got its current name in 1940 when two schools, Armour Institute and Lewis Institute, joined together.
Illinois Tech offers many study programs. These include architecture, business, communications, design, engineering, and law. It is known for its strong research programs. Several faculty members and graduates have won important awards. These include three Nobel Prize winners.
Contents
History of Illinois Tech
How it Started
In 1890, a Chicago minister named Frank Wakely Gunsaulus had a big idea. He wanted to build a school where students could learn by doing, not just by reading books. He called this his "Million Dollar Sermon."
Philip Danforth Armour, Sr. was inspired by this idea. He gave $1 million to start the Armour Institute in 1893. This school taught engineering, chemistry, and architecture.
Illinois Tech was formed in 1940. This happened when Armour Institute joined with Lewis Institute. Lewis Institute was started in 1895 by Allen C. Lewis. It offered courses for both men and women. The two schools officially merged on April 23, 1940.
New Schools Join In
Over the years, other schools became part of Illinois Tech.
- The Institute of Design (ID) joined in 1949. It was founded by László Moholy-Nagy in 1937.
- Chicago-Kent College of Law became part of the university in 1969. This made Illinois Tech one of the few tech universities with a law school.
- The Stuart School of Management and Finance was also started in 1969. It is now called the Stuart School of Business.
- The Midwest College of Engineering joined in 1986. This gave Illinois Tech a campus in Wheaton.
In 2006, the University Technology Park opened. It helps new science and tech companies get started. Today, Illinois Tech is a private university that offers PhD degrees. It is part of a group of 23 independent technology universities.
Growing and Changing
Illinois Tech grew a lot after the merger. During World War II, it had a special Navy program. This led to more students and a bigger campus.
A famous German architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, joined the school in 1938. He designed a completely new campus. It was spacious and open, very different from the busy city around it. The first buildings he designed were finished in the 1940s. Construction on his "Mies Campus" continued until the early 1970s.
Research and engineering also grew a lot after the war. Illinois Tech was once the largest engineering school in the U.S. Many research groups were based there.
The nickname "Illinois Tech" has always been popular with students. It inspired the name of the student newspaper, TechNews. In the 2010s, the university started using "Illinois Tech" more often. This was to avoid confusion with other schools that use "IIT."
In 2020, Illinois Tech created the College of Computing. It also updated the Lewis College of Science and Letters. These changes brought together different science and tech programs.
Illinois Tech Today
In the 1990s, the university received large gifts. These helped to make the campus better. New buildings were added in 2003. These included the McCormick Tribune Campus Center and State Street Village. S. R. Crown Hall was also renovated.
The University Technology Park has grown. It helps new companies in biotechnology and other fields. Student numbers have also increased.
Academics
What You Can Study
Illinois Tech has five main colleges. These are the College of Computing, Armour College of Engineering, Lewis College of Science and Letters, College of Architecture, and Chicago-Kent College of Law. There is also the Institute of Design and the Stuart School of Business.
The Armour College of Engineering has five departments. These include Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering.
The Lewis College of Science and Letters includes departments like Applied Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. It also has humanities and social sciences.
The Institute of Design started in 1937. It joined Illinois Tech in 1949. The College of Architecture began in 1895.
Chicago-Kent College of Law started in 1886. It became part of Illinois Tech in 1969. The Stuart School of Business was created in 1969. It offers programs in finance, business, and public administration.
Illinois Tech also has programs that let students get into professional schools early. These include programs for medicine, law, and business.
Awards and Recognition
Illinois Tech is known as a top university.
- U.S. News & World Report ranked it as a top national university.
- Forbes ranked Illinois Tech highly among STEM universities.
- Chicago-Kent College of Law is also ranked as a top law school.
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency recognized Illinois Tech. They named it a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education. This means it has strong programs in cybersecurity.
Campus Life
Illinois Tech has four campuses in the Chicago area.
The main campus is called Mies Campus. It is located at 10 West 35th Street in Chicago. This campus is home to most undergraduate and graduate programs. It covers about 120 acres.
The downtown campus is called the Conviser Law Center. It is at 565 West Adams Street. This campus houses Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Stuart School of Business.
The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Campus is in Wheaton, Illinois. It offers graduate programs and some undergraduate courses. This campus opened in 1991.
The Moffett Campus is in Bedford Park, Illinois. It is home to the Institute for Food Safety and Health. This campus was given to Illinois Tech in 1988.
The Mies Campus is in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood. This area is important in African-American history. Many famous African Americans lived here. The campus is close to Guaranteed Rate Field, where the Chicago White Sox play. It is also near Lake Michigan. The Chicago 'L' train lines run near and through the campus.
Campus Architecture
The main campus was designed by the famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. He led the architecture school at Illinois Tech from 1938 to 1958. His design was very modern. It used steel, concrete, brick, and glass. The campus has the most buildings designed by Mies van der Rohe in the world.
The American Institute of Architects recognized the campus in 1976. They called it one of the most important architectural works in the U.S. The Mies Campus was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Green Campus Efforts
In 2010, Illinois Tech received a high rating for its efforts in sustainability. This means the university works to protect the environment.
Important Buildings
S. R. Crown Hall
S. R. Crown Hall was built in 1955. Mies van der Rohe thought it was one of his best designs. It has a large, open space inside with no columns. This is because the roof hangs from steel beams. Crown Hall is home to Illinois Tech's College of Architecture. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 2001. It was renovated in 2005 to save energy and add new technology.
State Street Village
State Street Village (SSV) is a student dorm. It was designed by Helmut Jahn, who studied at Illinois Tech. It opened in 2003. The building has three parts. Glass walls help block noise from the nearby train tracks. SSV houses 367 students in apartment-style rooms.
McCormick Tribune Campus Center (MTCC)
The McCormick Tribune Campus Center (MTCC) opened in 2003. It was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. The building has different areas connected by pathways. A large steel tube goes over the building. It covers the Green Line train tracks. This tube helps keep the building quiet. Students can find food courts, offices, shops, and a recreation area inside.
Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship
This is the newest academic building on campus. It was designed by John Ronan, an architecture professor. It opened in 2018. In 2019, it won a top award for architectural design.
Student Life
Illinois Tech has many student groups. These include religious groups, academic clubs, and activity groups.
Three main groups serve all students:
- The Student Government Association (SGA) works with the university leaders.
- The Student Union Board (UB) plans over 180 events each year.
- TechNews is the campus newspaper. It shares news and student opinions.
Illinois Tech also has its own radio station, WIIT. It has a studio in the McCormick Tribune Campus Center.
In 2007, a nine-hole disc golf course opened on campus. It was the first one in Chicago.
The campus also has a pub and bowling alley called "The Bog." It reopened in 2007. Students can bowl, play games, and enjoy live music or karaoke.
Illinois Tech has several a cappella singing groups. These include The TechTonics, the Crown Joules, and the X-Chromotones. They perform on and off campus.
The university also has a Greek System with fraternities and sororities. Many of these groups have houses on campus.
Athletics
The Illinois Tech sports teams are called the Scarlet Hawks. They are part of the NCAA Division III. They mainly compete in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC).
Illinois Tech has 19 varsity sports. These include baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball for both men and women. They also have cross country, lacrosse, and track & field.
Basketball
The men's and women's basketball programs were stopped for a few years. But they started again in 2012. The men's team played in a championship in 2017. Illinois Tech also has a cricket team.
Notable Alumni
Notable Faculty
Faculty (current and former)
Nobel Prize Winners
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Images for kids
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Machinery Hall, one of the original Armour Institute buildings.
See also
In Spanish: Instituto de Tecnología de Illinois para niños
- Architecture of Chicago
- Chicago–Kent College of Law
- IIT Physics Department
- IIT Research Institute (IITRI)
- McCormick Tribune Campus Center
