| 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)