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Caltech: From Humble Beginnings
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by: FabianToulouse
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Word Count: 405
California Institute of Technology, generally referred to as Caltech, is a privately owned research university that offers an intensive curriculum specializing in the natural sciences and engineering. Known for their aeronautical advances in jet-propulsion, Caltech works very closely with NASA. Despite the world renown, Caltech maintains a relatively small student body, with slightly over two thousand students enrolled in both its graduate and undergraduate programs.
Founded in 1891 by businessman Amos G. Throop, Caltech began as a humble vocational school. The school was formed into a significant scientific institution by the astronomer George Hale. He was among the first directors of the institution and during his tenure he succeeded in convincing stakeholders to shape the school in such a manner as to be one of the foremost scientific research institutions in the world. His petition resulted in major contributions, in the form of land grants and new facilities, lanuched the school into a world-class power. He managed to convince two successful scientists, physical chemist Arthur Amos Noyes and experimental physicist Robert Andrews Millikan, to join the institution. Millikan would subsequently win the Nobel Prize for his dedicated service to humanity.
The California Institute of Technology is possibly the most successful research institute on the west coast. It presently claims thirty-one Nobel laureates as alumni or faculty. No more than 25,000 students have passed through Caltech's doors. This means the ratio of Nobel laureates to alumni is so small no other university comes close to matching them. Other notable alumni who received Nobel prizes include Edward B. Lewis, Linus Pauling, Carl D. Anderson and William A. Fowler.
At Caltech, the emphasis is obviously quality over quantity. Various interdisciplinary programs have been implemented to give students a survey of inter-related fields of study. The academic workload at Caltech has been fairly distributed to ensure students are successful with their coursework. The grading system has been designed in such a manner as to allow students to know their academic standing as early in the semester as possible. This helps students put the necessary emphasis on their academic performance in subsequent exams.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Caltech became devout rivals over the decades. This rivalry has taken on several dimensions, including a long legacy of reciprocal pranks. These two universities are known worldwide as centers of exemplary academic research and graduate the upper echelons of our scientific community.
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