Nestled in the foothills of the spectacular Wasatch Mountains, the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering had its origins in the State School of Mines, established in the 1890s. Dedicated to enhancing Utah’s mining industry, it was among the first engineering programs west of the Mississippi River. A strong tradition of educational and technical support for local industry continues to the present day.

The first modern four-year engineering degree at the school was introduced in 1895. Joseph F. Merrill was the first principal and the Merrill Engineering Building was named in his honor. According to University records, Richard Lyman was recruited from Brigham Young Academy to teach the technical engineering curriculum. Lyman organized the first Department of Engineering in 1896.

During the past 127+ years, the College has graduated more than 30,000 engineers. Many engineering alumni have gone on to achieve international recognition in industry, manufacturing, research, education, law, medicine, and many other professions.

Some of the companies founded by graduates and faculty of the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering include TRW, Evans and Sutherland, Silicon Graphics, Netscape, WordPerfect, Sarcos, Opto 22, Novell, Atari, Adobe Systems, and Pixar, to name only a few. Many other graduates hold executive leadership positions in companies and educational institutions around the world.

Currently, the College has more than 5,000 undergraduate and 1,350 graduate students. The College also has 226 tenure-track faculty members and approximately $106M in annual research expenditures.

Download “A History of The College of Engineering 1850 – 2000” by Dietrich K. Gehmlich, Professor Emeritus, in PDF format (8.8 MB).

 

Deans of the College

Joseph F. Merrill 1897-1928
Joseph F. Merrill
1897-1928
Richard B. Ketchum 1928-1939
Richard B. Ketchum
1928-1939
Albert L. Taylor 1939-1952
Albert L. Taylor
1939-1952
Samuel S. Kistler 1952-1965
Samuel S. Kistler
1952-1965
Max L. Williams 1965-1973
Max L. Williams
1965-1973
Wayne S. Brown 1973-1978
Wayne S. Brown
1973-1978
Laurence H. Lattman 1978-1983
Laurence H. Lattman
1978-1983
Joseph D. Andrade 1983-1987
Joseph D. Andrade
1983-1987
David W. Pershing 1987-1998
David W. Pershing
1987-1998
Gerald B. Stringfellow 1998-2003
Gerald B. Stringfellow
1998-2003

Richard B. Brown
2004-2024

Charles Musgrave
2024-Present