Sheffield Scientific School facts for kids
Chemistry Class in 1898
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| Type | Private |
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| Active | 1847–1956 |
| Affiliation | Yale University |
| Location |
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United States
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The Sheffield Scientific School was a special part of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. It was created in 1847 to teach students about science and engineering.
At first, it was called the Yale Scientific School. But in 1861, it was renamed to honor Joseph E. Sheffield, who was a very generous railroad executive. This school helped change how universities in the U.S. taught students. It mixed science and engineering with other subjects like arts. After World War I, its classes slowly became part of Yale College. The "Sheff," as it was often called, stopped being a separate school in 1956.
Contents
How the Sheffield Scientific School Started
In the early 1800s, new inventions like the electric telegraph made people interested in teaching applied science. Other universities, like Harvard and Dartmouth, started their own science schools.
Yale also began to change. In 1846, it added professors for agricultural chemistry and practical chemistry. In 1847, these chemistry programs became part of a new group called the Department of Philosophy and the Arts. This department later became the Yale Graduate School. Early classes and labs were held in the Second President's House on Yale's campus.
After a few years, in 1852, Yale added a professor for civil engineering. These science and engineering programs together formed the Yale Scientific School.
Joseph Sheffield's Big Help
In the mid-1850s, the Yale Scientific School was listed in the Yale College course catalog. A professor named John Addison Porter asked his father-in-law, Joseph Earl Sheffield, for help.
In 1858, Mr. Sheffield gave over $100,000 to the school. This money helped buy and fix up the old Medical Department building for the science school. This building was renovated and renamed South Sheffield Hall.
In 1861, the school was officially renamed the Sheffield Scientific School. This was to thank Joseph Sheffield for his amazing support. He wanted to help "promote the study of natural, physical, and mathematical sciences."
Joseph Sheffield was one of Yale's most important supporters. He gave about $500,000 during his life and left more money and his house to Yale in his will. The school also received money from the Morrill Act starting in 1863, which helped begin an agricultural course.
What Students Learned and How They Lived
The Sheffield School was very innovative. It offered undergraduate courses in science and math. But it also taught subjects like economics, English, history, and modern languages.
Sheffield was also a leader in graduate education in the United States. It gave out the very first Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) in the U.S. in 1861. It also gave the first engineering Ph.D. to Josiah Willard Gibbs in 1863.
Life for Sheffield students was different from other Yale College students. They didn't have dorms or required chapel services. There were also fewer strict rules. Because of these differences, the Academical Department of Yale (Ac) and Sheffield (Sheff) became rivals. Students from the Ac side, who studied liberal arts, sometimes looked down on the practical Sheff students.
Sheffield students had their own student groups, often called secret societies. These included groups like Berzelius and Book and Snake. In 1894, the Yale Scientific Magazine was started at Sheffield. It was the first student magazine focused on science.
School Buildings and Campus Life
Over the years, the Sheffield Scientific School built many new buildings. In 1872–73, North Sheffield Hall was built. Then came Winchester Hall (1892) and Sheffield Chemical (1894-5). Today, only Sheffield Chemical is still standing, but it has been updated and renamed Arthur K. Watson Hall.
More buildings were added, including Kirtland Hall (1902), Hammond Laboratory (1904), Leet Oliver Hall (1908), Mason Laboratory (1911), and Dunham Laboratory (1912). Most of these buildings are still used today.
Dormitories were also built for Sheffield students, like the Vanderbilt-Sheffield Dormitories (1903-1906). Byers Hall, built in 1903, was a social center for students. Many of these buildings are now part of Silliman College, one of Yale's residential colleges.
Changes and End of the School
Around 1918-1919, Yale University changed how its schools were organized. The Sheffield Scientific School stopped offering its three-year course. Instead, it focused on a four-year program for "professional science" and "engineering." Graduate courses were moved to the Graduate School. This meant that from 1919 to 1945, Sheffield only taught undergraduate classes.
The first Bachelor of Science degrees from the Sheffield Scientific School were given out in 1922. In 1932, the School of Engineering was restarted, and Sheffield's engineering classes moved there.
In 1945, the Sheffield Scientific School went back to its original purpose: teaching science to graduate students. Undergraduate science courses moved to Yale College.
These changes happened gradually. Finally, in 1956, the Sheffield Scientific School stopped being an active school. Its Board of Trustees still exists to manage its property. Today, science teaching and research at Yale are done within the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science.
Leaders of the School
- George Jarvis Brush (Professor of Mineralogy) was the Director from 1872 to 1898.
- Russell Henry Chittenden (Professor of Physiological Chemistry) was the Director from 1898 to 1922.
- Charles Hyde Warren (Professor of Geology) was the Dean from 1922 to 1945.
- Edmund Ware Sinnott (Professor of Botany) was the Director from 1945 to 1956.
Images for kids
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Chemistry Class in 1898
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Second President's House, home to the Department of Philosophy and the Arts, 1847–1860
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Joseph Earl Sheffield, the school's namesake
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Plaque commemorating Sheffield Hall
