History

The Department of Mathematical Sciences at WPI is as old as the university itself. The timeline below highlights key moments in the history of the department, its programs, and its home building, Stratton Hall.

1868	WPI opened its doors to the first incoming class Harriett Goodrich was the first to teach Mathematics at WPI
1869	John E. Sinclair succeeded Goodrich
1870	Thomas E. N. Eaton joined the faculty
1894	Stratton Hall completed
1954	8 professors comprised the mathematics faculty
1958	Undergraduate major in mathematics first offered (first graduates in 1962)
1962	The department grew to 12 professors
1963	WPI received its first computer, housed in Stratton Hall
1972	The first woman to graduate from WPI, Leslie Small, earned her B.S. in Mathematics
1979	Name changed to Department of Mathematical Sciences
1987	MS in Mathematical Sciences first offered (first graduates in 1989)
1993	Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences first offered (first graduate, Lucia Kimball in 1997)
1997	27 faculty comprised the department. Center for Industrial Mathematics and Statistics (CIMS) was established.
2001	Professional Science master's degree programs first offered (first graduates in 2002 and 2003)
2004	The Board of Trustees elects as the 15th President of WPI, a mathematician Dennis Berkey
2005	Research and education funding reached 1.8 Million Dollars

Department Heads

John E. Sinclair, 1868-1908
Levi L. Conant, 1908-1916
Arthur D. Butterfield, 1916-1917
Raymond K. Morley, 1917-1955
Harris Rice, 1955-1957
Richard N. Cobb, 1957-1960
Elliot L. Buell, 1960-1968
John P. van Alstyne, 1968-1971 (Acting)
J. J. Malone, 1971-1978
Paul W. Davis, 1978-1983
Bruce C. McQuarrie, 1983-1986
Gordon C. Branche, 1986-1987 (Interim)
Samuel M. Rankin III, 1987-1995
Gordon C. Branche, 1995-1997 (Interim)
Homer F. Walker, 1997-2002
Bogdan Vernescu, 2003-2013
Luca Capogna, 2013-2020
Sarah Olson, present (Ad Interim)

Stratton Hall

Stratton Hall, the home of WPI’s Department of Mathematical Sciences, was built in 1894 and named for WPI trustee Charles G. Stratton, Class of 1885. From 1943 to 1946, the building also served as quarters for seamen who were part of the U.S. Navy’s V-12 training program.