Georgia Tech

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Georgia Institute of Technology
File:Georgia-Tech-Insignia.svg
MottoProgress and Service
TypePublic
EstablishedOctober 13, 1885[1]
Endowment$1.324 billion
(Institute: $276 million; Foundation: $1.047 billion)[2]
PresidentG. Wayne Clough
Academic staff
900
Students16,793[3]
Undergraduates11,484[3]
Postgraduates5,309[3]
Location
Atlanta
,
Georgia
,
USA
CampusUrban, 400 acres (1.61 km²)
AthleticsNCAA Division I. Eight men's varsity teams, seven women's. Tech Athletics
ColorsOld Gold and White    
NicknameYellow Jackets, Ramblin' Wreck
MascotBuzz, Rambling Wreck
Websitewww.gatech.edu

The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly known as Georgia Tech, is a public, coeducational research university, part of the University System of Georgia, and located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, with satellite campuses in Savannah, Georgia, Metz, France, Shanghai, China, and Singapore. Georgia Tech is best known for its programs in engineering, computing, and the sciences, though it also offers degrees in architecture, liberal arts, and management.

Established in 1885[1] and opened in 1888 with the construction of Tech Tower and a shop building,[4] Georgia Tech's campus occupies a large part of Midtown Atlanta. Founded as the Georgia School of Technology, it changed its name in 1948 to reflect its evolution from a trade school to a technical institute and research university, and its history and traditions reflect that change. In 1996, it was the site of the athletes' village and a venue for a number of athletic events for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

History

Main article: History of Georgia Tech

Establishment

Atlanta during the Civil War (c. 1864)

The idea of Georgia Institute of Technology was introduced in 1865 during the Reconstruction period. Two former Confederate officers, Major John Fletcher Hanson and Nathaniel Edwin Harris, who had become prominent citizens in the town of Macon, Georgia after the war, strongly believed that the South needed to improve its technology to compete with the industrial revolution that was occurring throughout the North.[4][5] Many Southerners at this time agreed with this idea. However, because the American South of that era was mainly comprised of agricultural workers and few technical developments were occurring, a technology school was needed.[4][5]

In 1882, prominent Georgians, authorized by the Georgia State Legislature and led by Harris, formed a committee and visited the Northeast to see firsthand how technology schools worked. Using examples from the Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science (now Worcester Polytechnic Institute) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Atlanta technology school began development on the Worcester Free Institute model, which stressed a combination of "theory and practice," the "practice" component including student employment and production of consumer items to generate revenue for the school.[6]

On October 13, 1885, Georgia Governor Henry D. McDaniel signed the bill to create and fund the new school.[1] In 1887, Atlanta pioneer Richard Peters donated four acres of his extensive land holdings to the state;[1] this land was bounded on the south by North Avenue, and on the west by Cherry Street.[1] He then sold five adjoining acres of land to the state for $10,000,[1] approximately equivalent to $182,717.44 in 2006.[7] This land was located near the northern city limits of Atlanta at the time of its founding, although the city has now expanded several miles beyond it. A historical marker on the large hill in Central Campus notes that the site occupied by the school's first buildings once held fortifications built to protect Atlanta during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The surrender of the city took place on the southwestern boundary of the modern Georgia Tech campus in 1864.[8]

Early years

An early picture of Georgia Tech

The Georgia School of Technology opened its doors in the fall of 1888 with only two buildings.[4] One building (now Tech Tower, an administrative headquarters) had classrooms to teach students; The second building featured a shop and had a foundry, forge, boiler room and engine room. It was designed specifically for students to work and produce goods to sell and fund the school. The two buildings were equal in size to show the importance of teaching both the mind and the hands;[4] though, at the time, there was some disagreement to whether the machine shop should have been used to turn a profit.[6]

On October 20, 1905, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Georgia Tech campus. On the steps of Tech Tower, Roosevelt presented a speech about the importance of technological education.[9] He then shook hands with every student.[10]

Georgia Tech's Evening School of Commerce began holding classes in 1912.[11] The school admitted its first female student in 1917, although the state legislature did not officially authorize attendance by women until 1920.[11][12] Annie T. Wise became the first female graduate in 1919 and went on to become Georgia Tech's first female faculty member the following year.[11][12] In 1931, the Board of Regents transferred control of the Evening School of Commerce to the University of Georgia and moved the civil and electrical engineering courses at UGA to Tech.[11][12] Tech replaced the commerce school with what later become the College of Management. The commerce school will later split from UGA and eventually become Georgia State University.[11][13]

Modern history

Institute President Dr. G. Wayne Clough speaks at a student meeting

Founded as the Georgia School of Technology, it assumed its present name in 1948 to reflect a growing focus on advanced technological and scientific research.[14] Unlike similarly-named universities (such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology), the Georgia Institute of Technology is a public institution.

The school's first female students were admitted in 1952,[15] although women could not enroll in all programs at Tech until 1968. Industrial Engineering was the last program to open to women.[15][11] The first women's dorm, Fulmer Hall, opened in 1969.[11] Women constituted 28.6% of the undergraduates and 25.8% of the graduate students enrolled in Fall 2006.[16] In 1959, a meeting of 2,741 students voted by an overwhelming majority to endorse integration of qualified applicants, regardless of race.[17] Three years after the meeting, and one year after the University of Georgia's violent integration,[17] Georgia Tech became the first university in the Deep South to desegregate without a court order.[18] There was little reaction to this by Tech students; according to former mayor William Hartsfield, Tech students were "too busy to hate."[17]

John Patrick Crecine was instrumental in securing the 1996 Summer Olympics for Atlanta. A dramatic amount of construction occurred, creating most of what is now considered "West Campus" in order for Tech to serve as the Olympic Village.[19] The Undergraduate Living Center, Fourth Street Apartments, Sixth Street Apartments, Eighth Street Apartments, Hemphill Apartments, and Center Street Apartments housed athletes and journalists. The Georgia Tech Aquatic Center was built for swimming events, and the Alexander Memorial Coliseum was renovated.[11][19] The school also erected the Kessler Campanile and fountain to serve as a landmark and symbol of the Institute on television broadcasts.[11] Since then, the Campanile has come to be known by students as "The Shaft."[20]

In 1994, G. Wayne Clough became the first Tech alumnus to serve as the President of the Institute, and was in office during the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 1998, he separated the Ivan Allen College of Management, Policy, and International Affairs into the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and returned the College of Management to "College" status (Crecine, the previous president, had demoted Management from "College" to "School" status as part of a controversial 1990 reorganization plan).[21][22] His tenure has been focused on a dramatic expansion of the institute, a revamped Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), and the creation of an International Plan.[23][24]

Academics

The Klaus Advanced Computing Building, named for its benefactor, Chris Klaus
The Microelectronics Research Center

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public institution, receiving funds from the State of Georgia, tuition and fees, research grants, and alumni contributions. The student body consists of 17,000 graduate and undergraduate students, and more than 900 full-time instructional faculty.[25]

Tech is consistently ranked very well. As of 2006, U.S. News & World Report ranked Tech as the No. 8 public university, the No. 6 undergraduate engineering program, and the No. 4 graduate engineering program.[25] In addition, Georgia Tech's College of Engineering and MIT's School of Engineering were the only two engineering programs in the nation to have U.S. News & World Report rank all of its schools in the top 10.[26][27] The engineering programs ranked in the top 10 are: aerospace (5th), biomedical (2nd), civil (4th), computer (6th), electrical (7th), environmental (6th), industrial and systems (1st), materials (9th) and mechanical (7th).[citation needed]

Colleges

Georgia Tech's undergraduate and graduate programs are divided into six Colleges. Collaboration among the Colleges is frequent, as mandated by a number of interdisciplinary degree programs and research centers.[28]

Georgia Tech has sought to strengthen its undergraduate and graduate offerings in less technical fields, primarily those under the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. That particular college has seen a 20% increase in admissions.[29]

Research

See also: Georgia Tech Research Institute
Further information: [[:Georgia Tech Research News]]

National Science Foundation statistics place Georgia Tech third among all U.S. universities for the volume of engineering research and development conducted. Georgia Tech's total research program topped $400 million for the fiscal year 2004.[citation needed] The Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Research Center is scheduled to be completed Summer 2008,[30] at which point it will be the largest clean room in the Southeastern United States.

In addition to research performed by the schools, Georgia Tech is affiliated with a nonprofit research organization referred to as the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).[31] GTRI provides sponsored research in a variety of technical specialties including radar, electro-optics, and materials engineering.[31] GTRI employs over 1,300 people, conducting over $110 million in research every year.[31] Sponsored research at Georgia Tech is managed by the Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) and its subsidiary, the Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation (GTARC).

Student life

Tech cheerleaders waving flags after a touchdown.

Set in the middle of Midtown Atlanta, and with a tradition of top-ranked athletic teams and student activities, Tech students have a plethora of social options to choose from. Due to the prominence of Georgia Tech's athletic programs, attending athletic events is always an option for students.

In terms of off-campus social options, being located in the middle of a young and vibrant city like Atlanta offers a number of options for Tech students. Just off campus, there are several restaurants available to students, especially in Tech Square. Meanwhile, "Home Park," a neighborhood that borders the north end of campus, is a popular living area for Tech students and recent grads,[32] and a number of parties and barbecues are hosted by the neighborhood's residents.[33]

The school's administration has endeavored to reduce the levels of anxiety felt by many Tech students. Most notable have been the administration's FASET (Familiarization and Adaptation to the Surroundings and Environs of Tech) and Freshman Experience (a freshman-only dorm life program to "encourage friendships and a feeling of social involvement") programs, which help to acclimate new students to their surroundings and foster a greater sense of community.[34]

Other school initiatives aimed at improving student life include the administration's efforts to boost female enrollment at the school. Historically, female enrollment at engineering institutions has been quite low, and Georgia Tech is no exception. With about twice as many male students as females, Georgia Tech has one of the most unbalanced male-to-female ratios of any co-ed university. However, this is slowly changing, presumably due to the university's growing liberal arts programs, as well as outreach programs to encourage more female high school students to consider careers in science and engineering, such as the "Women In Engineering" program. As of Spring 2007, the freshman class of 2006–2007 had a ratio of 68.8% to 31.2%.[35] The highest freshman ratio in the past few years (counting only Fall and Spring semesters)[36] was Spring 2006, with a ratio of 70.5% to 29.5%.[35]

Traditions

A closeup of Tech Tower
Main article: Georgia Tech traditions
See also: Stealing the T and Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate

Tech has a number of legends and traditions, some of which have persisted for decades. Some are well-known; for example, the most notable of these is the popular but rare tradition of stealing the 'T' from Tech Tower. Tech Tower, Tech's historic primary administrative building, has the letters TECH hanging atop it on each of its four sides. A number of times, students have orchestrated complex plans to steal the huge symbolic letter T, and on occasion have carried this act out successfully. The latest instance of this tradition occurred in October 2005, when a replica of the T was stolen from the Student Services Building and returned two days later.[37] One of the cherished holdovers from Tech's early years, a steam whistle blows five minutes before the hour, every hour from 7:55 a.m. to 5:55 p.m.[38] It is for that reason that the faculty newspaper is named The Whistle.[20]

Georgia Tech holds a heated, long and ongoing rivalry with the University of Georgia, known as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. The first known hostilities between the two schools trace back to 1891. The University of Georgia's literary magazine proclaimed UGA's school colors to be "old gold, black, and crimson." Dr. Charles H. Herty, the first UGA football coach, felt that old gold was too similar to yellow and that it "symbolized cowardice." After the 1893 football game against Tech, Herty removed old gold as an official school color.[39] Tech would first use old gold for their uniforms, as a proverbial slap in the face to UGA, in their first unofficial football game against Auburn in 1891.[40] Georgia Tech's school colors would thenceforth be old gold and white.

Arts at Tech

The Robert Ferst Center for the Arts

Founded in 1907,[41] the Glee Club was the first student organizations on campus, and still operates today. The Glee Club was among the first collegiate choral groups to release a recording of their songs. The group has toured extensively and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show twice, providing worldwide exposure to "Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech." Since its inception, the all-male Glee Club has split to form the Chorale and Chamber Choir, both mixed groups.

The Georgia Tech Athletic Bands play a crucial part for school spirit and athletic support. It was founded in 1908 by 14 Students and Robert "Biddy" Bidez.[41] The Marching Band consistently fields over 300 members and even invites students from other Atlanta universities who do not have football programs (Georgia State, Emory, Agnes Scott, Kennesaw State, etc) to participate. Members of the marching band travel to every football game. Since its inception in 1996,[41] the Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra has grown from a dozen interested students into an 80+ member ensemble. It is now one of the largest performance groups on campus.

In 1963 the Music Department, under the leadership of Ben Logan Sisk, was created under Tech's General College. In 1976 the Music department was assigned to the College of Sciences & Liberal Studies, and in 1991 was relocated to its current home in the College of Architecture. Under the Couch is a live music venue located beneath the Couch Building on West Campus. It is run by the Musician's Network. Georgia Tech also has a growing music scene, including the growing a cappella groups on campus: Nothin' but Treble, Sympathetic Vibrations, and Infinite Harmony, to name a few.

DramaTech is the campus' student-run theater. The theater has been entertaining Georgia Tech and the surrounding community since 1947. They are also home to Let's Try This! (the campus improv troupe) and VarietyTech (a song and dance troupe). Momocon is an annual anime/gaming/comics convention held on campus in March hosted by Anime O-Tekku, the Georgia Tech anime club. It is free admission and usually held in the Student Center and Instructional Center, as well as outdoor areas.[42]

Student media

The front page of the first issue of The Technique.

WREK, 91.1 MHz is known as "Wreck Radio." The studio is on the second floor of the Student Center Commons. Broadcasting with 40 kW ERP, WREK is among the nation's most powerful college radio stations. WREK is currently a student operated and run radio station, but there is currently a debate (as of April 2007) as to whether or not NPR or GPB should be given control over some of the station's airtime.[43] Many students are opposed to such a change.[44]

The Technique, also known as the "'Nique," is Tech's official student newspaper. It is distributed weekly during the Fall and Spring semesters (on Fridays), and biweekly during the Summer semester (with certain exceptions). It was established on November 17, 1911. The Blueprint is Tech's yearbook, established in 1908. Other student publications include The North Avenue Review, Tech's "free-speech magazine," and Erato, Tech's literary magazine. The offices of all student publications are located in the Student Services Building.

Campus services

Georgia Tech Cable Network, or GTCN, is the college's branded cable source. The station broadcasts WREK-FM on channel 17, in addition to student-generated content and recent movies on channels 20 and 21. Most non-original programming is obtained from Dish Network. GTCN currently has 109 standard-definition channels and five high-definition channels.

The Office of Information Technology, or OIT, manages most of the school's computing resources (and some related services such as campus telephones). With the exception of a few computer labs maintained by individual colleges, OIT is responsible for most of the computing facilities on campus. Student, faculty, and staff e-mail accounts are among its services.[45]

ResNet provides free technical support to all students and guests living in Georgia Tech's on-campus housing (excluding fraternities and sororities). ResNet is responsible for network, telephone, and television service, and most support is provided by part-time student employees.[46]

See also: ResNet

Campuses

Georgia Tech's East Campus and Central Campus as seen from an elevated point near Peachtree Street and North Avenue. Bobby Dodd Stadium is in the foreground, Tech Tower and Junior's Grill are in the background to the left, and the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center is in the background and to the right. The Varsity is directly behind the viewer.
A view of the Burger Bowl, facing south.

The Georgia Tech campus is located in Midtown, an area north of downtown Atlanta. Although a number of skyscrapers are visible from all points on campus — most notably the headquarters of both AT&T and The Coca-Cola Company as well as Atlanta's tallest building, the Bank of America building — the campus itself has few buildings over four stories and has a great deal of greenery. This gives it a distinctly suburban atmosphere quite different from other Atlanta campuses such as that of Georgia State University.

The campus is organized into four main parts: West Campus, East Campus, Central Campus, and Technology Square. West Campus and East Campus are both occupied primarily by student living complexes, while Central Campus is reserved primarily for teaching and research buildings.

West Campus

Eighth Street Apartments East Building

West Campus is occupied primarily by apartments and coed undergraduate dormitories. Prominent apartments include Hemphill, Center Street, 6th Street, Maulding, Undergraduate Living Center (ULC), and Eighth Street Apartments. Prominent dorms include Freeman, Montag, Fitten, Fulmer, Caldwell, Hefner, Armstrong, Folk, and Woodruff Suites. The Campus Recreation Center (formerly the Student Athletic Complex); a volleyball court; a large, low natural green area known as the Burger Bowl; and a flat artificial green area known as the SAC Fields are all located on the western side of the campus. Also within easy walking distance of West Campus is City Cafe, which is open 24 hours, Rocky Mountain Pizza, and Engineer's Bookstore, an alternative to Georgia Tech's official bookstore. West Campus is also home to a music club operated by students called Under the Couch as well as a small diner and convenience store, West Side Market. Due to limited space, all auto travel proceeds via a network of one-way streets which connects West Campus to Ferst Drive, the main road of the campus. Woodruff Dining Hall, or "Woody's," is the West Campus Dining Hall. It connects the Woodruff North and Woodruff South undergraduate dorms.

East Campus

A view of Skiles Walkway from the Student Center, facing east.

East Campus houses all of the Fraternities and Sororities as well as most of the undergraduate freshman dormitories. As of Fall 2007, North Avenue Apartments, previously owned by Georgia State, are a part of Georgia Tech’s East Campus.[47] About 2000 Georgia Tech undergraduates reside there. Although the residences are similar, East Campus is decidedly more urban than West Campus. East Campus abuts on the Downtown Connector. Via a number of bridges over the highway as well as a tunnel under it, East Campus has quick access to Midtown and its businesses such as The Varsity. Georgia Tech football's home, Bobby Dodd Stadium is located on East Campus, as well as Georgia Tech basketball's home Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Brittain Dining Hall is the main dining hall for East Campus. It is modeled after a medieval church, complete with carved columns and stained-glass windows showing symbolic figures. The main road leading from East Campus to Central Campus is an ascending incline commonly known as "Freshman Hill" (in reference to the large number of freshman dorms near its foot) or simply "The Hill." On March 8, 2007, the former Georgia State University Village apartments were transferred to Georgia Tech, and will begin housing students in the fall semester of 2007.[48]

Central Campus

See also: Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District
A view of central campus from the student center, facing northeast.

Central Campus is home to the majority of the academic, research, and administrative buildings. The Central Campus includes, among others: the Howey Physics Building; the Boggs Chemistry Building; the College of Computing; the Klaus Advanced Computing Building; the Skiles Classroom Building, which houses the School of Mathematics and the School of Literature, Communication and Culture; the D.M. Smith Building, which houses the School of Public Policy and the School of History, Technology, and Society; and the Ford Environmental Science & Technology Building. In 2005, the School of Modern Languages returned to the Swann Building, a 100-year-old former dorm that now houses some of the most technology-equipped classrooms on campus. Intermingled with these are a variety of research facilities, such as the Centennial Research Building, the Pettit Microelectronics Research Center, the Nanotechnology Research Center, and the Petit Biotechnology Building.

Tech's administrative buildings, such as the Student Services Building ("Flag Building"), Tech Tower, and the Bursar's Office, are also located here. The campus library, plus a small traditional eatery called Junior's Grill, as well as a large communal building for students, the Fred B. Wenn Student Center (a student union), are also located on Central Campus. The Student Center provides a variety of recreational and social functions for students including: a computer lab, a game room ("Tech Rec"), the Student Post Office, a darkened Music Listening Room, a movie theater, the Food Court, plus meeting rooms for various clubs and organizations. Adjacent to the eastern entrance of the Student Center is the Kessler Campanile (which is referred to by students as "The Shaft"). The former Hightower Textile Engineering building was demolished in 2002 to create Yellow Jacket Park. More greenspace now occupies the area around the Kessler Campanile for a more aesthetically pleasing look, in accordance with the official Campus Master Plan.[49] Numerous clubs and organizations hold activities in Yellow Jacket Park.

Technology Square

A view of Technology Square, facing south
Main article: Technology Square

Technology Square, also known as "Tech Square," is located across the Downtown Connector and embedded in the city east of East Campus. It is home to the College of Management, the official school bookstore, the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.

Buildings in Tech Square also serve as offices for a number of faculty and graduate students, the GVU Center, the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), VentureLab, and the Georgia Electronics Design Center research group (GEDC). The buildings in Technology Square also host a variety of small restaurants and businesses, as well as business ventures spawned by Georgia Tech research. Opened in 2003, the district was built over run-down neighborhoods and has sparked a revitalization of the entire Midtown area.

Satellite campuses

Georgia Tech Lorraine
See also: Georgia Tech Lorraine

In 1999, Georgia Tech began offering local degree programs to engineering students in Southeast Georgia, and in 2003 established a physical campus in Savannah, Georgia. Georgia Tech Savannah offers undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering, and boasts a robust research program with many activities centered on coastal concerns. It is also home to the regional offices of the Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute and the Advanced Technology Development Center. The Georgia Tech Savannah campus offers engineering programs in conjunction with Georgia Southern University, Armstrong Atlantic State University, and Savannah State University.[50] The university further collaborated with the National University of Singapore to set up The Logistics Institute - Asia Pacific in Singapore.[50]

Georgia Tech also operates a campus in Metz, in northeastern France, known as Georgia Tech Lorraine. Opened in October 1990,[51] It offers Masters' level courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Georgia Tech Lorraine is known for a much-publicized lawsuit pertaining to the language used in advertisements; see Toubon Law. Additionally, the College of Architecture maintains a small permanent presence in Paris, France in affiliation with the École d'architecture de Paris-La Villette.

Athletics

File:GeorgiaTechYellowJackets.png
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets logo
Main articles: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate

Georgia Tech's sports teams are variously called the Yellow jackets, the Ramblin' Wreck, and the Engineers, but the official nickname is Yellow Jackets. They participate in NCAA Division I within the Atlantic Coast Conference. The school mascots are Buzz and the Ramblin' Wreck. The school's traditional football rival is the University of Georgia; the rivalry was, at one time, considered one of the fiercest in college football. The rivalry is commonly referred to as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, which is also the title of a book about the subject.[52] Tech has seventeen varsity sports: football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, women's softball, women's volleyball, golf, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's track and field, and men's and women's cross country. Four GT football teams were selected as national champions in news polls: 1917, 1928, 1952, and 1990. In May 2007, the women's tennis team won the NCAA National Championship with a 4-2 victory over UCLA, the first ever national title granted by the NCAA to Tech.[53][54]

See also: 2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, 2006-07 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team, and 2007 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team

Fight Song

Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field, home of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team.
Alexander Memorial Coliseum, home of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball team.
Main article: Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech

Tech's fight song "I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" is known worldwide. First published in the 1908 Blueprint,[55] it was adapted from an old drinking song ("Son of a Gambolier"),[55] and embellished with trumpet flourishes by Frank Roman.[56] Then-Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev sang the song together when they met in Moscow in 1958 to reduce the tension between them.[55][57] As the story goes, Nixon didn't know any Russian songs, but Khrushchev knew that one American one as it had been sung on The Ed Sullivan Show.[55]

I'm a Ramblin' Wreck has had many other notable moments in its history, including being the first school song played in space.[58] Gregory Peck sang the song while strumming a ukulele in the movie The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. John Wayne whistled it in The High and the Mighty. Tim Holt's character sings a few bars of it in the movie His Kind of Woman. There are numerous stories of commanding officers in Higgins boats crossing the English Channel on the morning of D-Day leading their men in the song to calm their nerves.[58] It is played after every Georgia Tech score in a football game.

Club sports

Georgia Tech participates in many non-NCAA sanctioned club sports. These sports include and are not limited to crew, cricket, cycling (winning three consecutive Dirty South Collegiate Cycling Conference mountain bike championships), equestrian, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, ice hockey, kayaking, lacrosse, paintball, roller hockey, soccer, rowing, rugby, sailing, skydiving, triathlon, ultimate, water polo, and wrestling. Many club sports take place at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, where swimming, diving, water polo, and the swimming portion of the Modern Pentathlon competitions for the 1996 Summer Olympics were held.[59]

Alumni

Main article: List of Georgia Institute of Technology alumni
Georgia Tech's first two graduates were H.L. Smith (top row, center) and G.C. Crawford (top row, far right).

There are many notable graduates, non-graduate former students and current students of Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech alumni are generally known as Yellow Jackets. According to the Georgia Tech Alumni Association,[60]

[the status of "alumni"] is open to all graduates of Georgia Tech, all former students of Georgia Tech who regularly matriculated and left Georgia Tech in good standing, active and retired members of the faculty and administration staff, and those who have rendered some special and conspicuous service to Georgia Tech or to [the alumni association].

The first class of 95 students entered Georgia Tech in 1888,[61] and the first two graduates received their degrees in 1890.[62] Since then, the institute has greatly expanded, with an enrollment of 11,484 undergraduates and 5,309 postgraduate students as of Spring 2007.[63]

Many distinguished individuals once called Georgia Tech home. The most notable alumnus is probably Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who briefly attended Georgia Tech in the early 1940s prior to matriculating at and graduating from the United States Naval Academy.[64] Another Georgia Tech graduate and Nobel Prize winner, Kary Mullis, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993. A large number of businesspeople (CEOs, directors, etc.) began their careers at the College of Management. Some of the most successful of these are Charles "Garry" Betty (CEO Earthlink), David Dorman (CEO AT&T Corporation), Mike Duke (CEO Wal-Mart), and James D. Robinson III (CEO American Express and later director of The Coca-Cola Company).

Tech graduates have been deeply influential in politics, military service, and activism. Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. and former United States Senator Sam Nunn have both made significant changes from within their elected offices. Current Georgia Tech president G. Wayne Clough was also a Tech grad, the first Tech alumnus to serve in that position. Many notable military commanders are alumni; William L. Ball was the 67th Secretary of the Navy, John M. Brown III is the Commander of the United States Army Pacific Command, and Leonard Wood was a Medal of Honor winner for helping capture of the Apache chief Geronimo.[65] Wood was also Tech's first football coach and (simultaneously) the team captain, and was instrumental in Tech's first-ever football victory in a game against the University of Georgia.[65]

Numerous astronauts and NASA administrators spent time at Tech; most notably, Retired Vice Admiral Richard H. Truly was the eighth administrator of NASA, and later served as the president of GTRI. John Young was the first commander of the space shuttle and is the only person to have piloted four different classes of spacecraft. Georgia Tech has its fair share of noteworthy engineers, scientists, and inventors. Kary Mullis developed the polymerase chain reaction, Herbert Saffir developed the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and W. Jason Morgan made significant contributions to the theory of plate tectonics and geodynamics. In computer science, Krishna Bharat developed Google News, D. Richard Hipp developed SQLite, and Chaim Gingold and Mike Pinkerton have contributed to Spore and Mozilla, respectively. Architect Michael Arad designed the World Trade Center Memorial in New York City, and John Portman designed several buildings across the globe, including Atlanta's SunTrust Plaza.

Despite their highly technical backgrounds, Tech graduates are no strangers to the arts or athletic competition. Comedian/actor Jeff Foxworthy of Blue Collar Comedy Tour fame, Mark Lee of Third Day, John Salley of The Best Damn Sports Show Period, and Randolph Scott all called Tech home. Several famous athletes have, as well; approximately 150 Tech students have gone into the NFL, with many others going into the NBA or MLB. Well-known American football athletes include former students Calvin Johnson, Reggie Ball, and Keith Brooking, former Tech head football coaches Pepper Rodgers and Bill Fulcher, and all-time greats such as Joe Hamilton, Pat Swilling, Billy Shaw, and Joe Guyon. Tech's entrants into the NBA include Jarrett Jack, Luke Schenscher, Stephon Marbury, and Chris Bosh. Award-winning baseball stars include Mark Teixeira, Nomar Garciaparra, and Jason Varitek. In golf, the legendary Bobby Jones founded The Masters, David Duval was ranked #1 in the world in 2001, and Stewart Cink was ranked in the top ten.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "A Walk Through Tech's History". Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine Online. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  2. ^ "Between 2005 and 2006 Endowment Assets" (PDF). National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
  3. ^ a b c "Spring 2007 Enrollment by College". Facts and Figures. Georgia Tech Office of Institutional Research and Planning. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
  4. ^ a b c d e "The Hopkins Administration, 1888-1895". "A Thousand Wheels are set in Motion": The Building of Georgia Tech at the Turn of the 20th Century, 1888-1908. Georgia Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  5. ^ a b "The George W. Woodruff Schol of Mechanical Engineering" (PDF). The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
  6. ^ a b Brittain, James E. (1977). "Engineers and the New South Creed: The Formation and Early Development of Georgia Tech". Technology and Culture. 18 (2). Johns Hopkins University Press: 175–201. doi:10.2307/3103955. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Friedman, S. Morgan. "The Inflation Calculator". Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  8. ^ Lenz, Richard J. (2002). "Surrender Marker, Fort Hood, Change of Command Marker". The Civil War in Georgia, An Illustrated Travelers Guide. Sherpa Guides. Retrieved 2006-12-30. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Selman, Sean (2002-03-27). "Presidential Tour of Campus Not the First for the Institute". A Presidential Visit to Georgia Tech. Georgia Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  10. ^ "One Hundred Years Ago Was Eventful Year at Tech". BuzzWords. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. 2005-10-01. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Tech Timeline". gtalumni.org. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  12. ^ a b c "Underground Degrees". Tech Topics. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Fall 1997. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  13. ^ "History of Georgia State University". Georgia State University Library. 2003-10-06. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  14. ^ "Georgia Tech History & Traditions". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  15. ^ a b Terraso, David (2003-03-21). "Georgia Tech Celebrates 50 Years of Women". Georgia Institute of Technology News Room. Retrieved 2006-11-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Office of Institutional Research & Planning: Facts and Figures: Enrollment by Gender". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  17. ^ a b c Edwards, Pat (1999-09-10). "Being new to Tech was not always so easy". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  18. ^ "Georgia Tech is Nation's No. 1 Producer of African-American Engineers in the Nation" (Press release). Georgia Institute of Technology. 2001-09-13. Retrieved 2006-11-13. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ a b "Touring the Olympic Village". Tech Topics. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Fall 1995. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  20. ^ a b "You certainly won't find these in Webster's..." The Technique. 2004-08-20. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Joshi, Nikhil (2006-03-10). "Geibelhaus lectures on controversial president". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  22. ^ Gray, J.R. (1998-02-06). "Get over headtrip, Management". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ Joshi, Nikhil (2005-03-04). "International plan takes root". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  24. ^ Chen, Inn Inn (2005-09-23). "Research, International Plan Fair hits Skiles Walkway". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  25. ^ a b "Georgia Tech Facts and Figures". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  26. ^ "All Tech's Ranked Engineering Programs in Top 10". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  27. ^ "Berkeley and MIT Engineering Program Rankings". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  28. ^ "2006 General Catalog: Interdisciplinary Programs". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  29. ^ "Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts Annual Report". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  30. ^ "Nanotechnology Research Center Building". Georgia Tech Capital Projects. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
  31. ^ a b c "2006 GTRI Annual Report" (PDF). Georgia Tech Research Institute. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  32. ^ Ebrahimi, Aghigh (1999-09-10). "Home Park provides close alternative". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-04-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ Meka, Hemanth Rao (1998-02-27). "Home Park Festival seeks to entertain neighbors, help kids". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ "Georgia Tech Freshman Experience". Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  35. ^ a b "Office of Institutional Research & Planning: Facts and Figures: Enrollment by Gender". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  36. ^ A slightly higher percentage of freshmen women attend during Summer. See Office of Institutional Research & Planning: Facts and Figures: Enrollment by Gender for verification.
  37. ^ "Replica Tech Tower 'T' stolen from Student Services Building". The Technique. October 7 2005. Retrieved December 19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |firstname= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |lastname= ignored (help)
  38. ^ "Freshman Survival: You certainly won't find these in Webster's..." The Technique. 2002-08-23. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dateaccessed= ignored (help)
  39. ^ "College football tradition - Official school colors". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  40. ^ "Georgia Tech traditions". RamblinWreck.com. Georgia Tech Athletic Association. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  41. ^ a b c Johnson, Rusty (2000-02-25). "Campus music programs have storied history". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
  42. ^ Guyton, Andrew (2007-03-30). "Third annual MomoCon draws 2,600 gaming fans". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  43. ^ Stephenson, James (2006-11-17). "PBA inquires about managing WREK". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  44. ^ "Leave WREK alone". The Technique. 2006-11-17. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  45. ^ "Georgia Tech OIT". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  46. ^ "Georgia Tech ResNet". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  47. ^ Tabita, Craig (2007-03-09). "Tech acquires Ga. State dorms". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
  48. ^ Kumar, Neeraj (2000-09-22). "New construction on the Hill recreates historic appearance near Tech Tower". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  49. ^ "Georgia Tech: Campus Master Plan" (campus facilities planning), Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 2004, Space.GaTech.edu webpage: GaTech-space-master-plan.
  50. ^ a b Dykes, Jennifer (1999-10-15). "Clough addresses Institute". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-05-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  51. ^ "About Georgia Tech Lorraine". Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  52. ^ Cromartie, Bill. Clean Old-fashioned Hate: Georgia Vs. Georgia Tech. Strode Publishers. ISBN 09-3252-064-2.
  53. ^ "Georgia Tech Wins NCAA Women's Tennis Title". RamblinWreck.com. Georgia Tech Athletic Association. 2007-05-22. Retrieved 2007-05-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  54. ^ "Georgia Tech captures first NCAA women's tennis title". ESPNU. ESPN.com. 2007-05-23. Retrieved 2007-05-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  55. ^ a b c d Edwards, Pat (2000-08-25). "Fight Songs". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  56. ^ "RamblinWreck.com: Georgia Tech Traditions". Retrieved 2007-02-12.
  57. ^ "Who's No. 1? Fighting Words About Battle Hymns". Tech Topics. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Summer 1991. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
  58. ^ a b "Inventory of the Georgia Tech Songs Collection, 1900-1953". Georgia Tech Archives and Records Management. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
  59. ^ "Georgia Tech Aquatic Center". RamblinWreck.com. Georgia Tech Athletic Association. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  60. ^ "Bylaws of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Inc" (PDF). Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  61. ^ "GT Buildings: GTVA-UKL999-A". A Thousand Wheels are set in Motion: The Building of Georiga Tech at the Turn of the 20th Century, 1888-1908. Georgia Tech Library. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  62. ^ "20 Common Questions about Georgia Tech". Georgia Tech Archives and Records Management. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  63. ^ "Enrollment by College, Spring 2007". Facts and Figures: Enrollment. Georgia Tech Institutional Research and Planning. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
  64. ^ "History of the NROTC Unit at Georgia Institute of Technology". Georgia Tech NROTC. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
  65. ^ a b Byrd, Joseph (Spring 1992). "From Civil War Battlefields to the Moon: Leonard Wood". Tech Topics. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2007-03-12.

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