Course III, while one of MIT's original areas of study, has evolved with society's technological needs. MIT first held classes in 1865, and mining and its related discipline of metallurgy were some of the first areas of study at MIT; in fact, six of the fourteen graduating students in 1868 received degrees from what is now Course III. In 1888, MIT’s faculty undertook an extensive revision of the Mining Engineering curriculum, and the department was renamed Mining Engineering and Metallurgy, with Professor Robert H. Richards as its Head. In 1916, MIT moved from Boston to Cambridge, into the buildings now known as the Main Group, and the Department first set up labs and offices in Building 8.
2013 is the 125th anniversary of the curriculum revision that resulted in the formation of the Department of Mining Engineering and Metallurgy. Many consider this to be the “official” start of DMSE even though the roots of the field were present at the institute from MIT’s founding.
To celebrate the history and stories of our Department, we plan to reissue the history written in 1988 by Professor Michael Bever, with additional sections to bring it up to the present. We are asking the help of our alumni, emeriti, and friends so that this history will reflect Course III’s rich history of innovation and excellence as well as the personal stories of those who make up our community. To participate, please comment on the pages in this wiki---these comments will be curated and added to our text. Please share photos and images. We'd love to get pictures of labs, offices and activities, and especially people with Course III mugs or wearing Course III t-shirts. If you have images or longer stories, please share by email to dmse-history@mit.edu or send them to Rachel Kemper, DMSE Communications Coordinator, 6-102, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139.
Labs in MIT's Boston campus, ca. 1870s