All images contained herein are the property of the University of Michigan, Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
The entire faculty of UM in 1871
Notice the strong prominence of beards and hats.
Some faculty and students, 1871
Again, hats appear to be one of the fashions of that time.
Mortimer E. Cooley
Mortimer E. Cooley joined the University of Michigan in 1881, and began an aggressive program in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Cooley was from the Navy, and had been consigned by the Navy to work at UM in steam power plant and iron ship building.
The first UM Engineering Building
Built immediately after the arrival of Mortimer E. Cooley (1881), and under his supervision, this building was the only University building devoted entirely to engineering. It is typical of Cooley’s luck that the acting president of the University should suddenly realize that he had an unexpended appropriation of $2500 requiring immediate disbursement. Of this, $1500 went into the structure itself, leaving $1000 for equipment: foundry, forge, machine shop, engine shop, and pattern making shop. The building was in use by February 1882.
The second UM Engineering Building
This building was built adjoining the first engineering building. You can see in the image the first engineering building attached at the back.
The West Engineering Building (now West Hall)
A couple views of the “tow tank”
The Marine Hydrodynamics Lab (MHL) located in West Hall (formerly West Engineering) runs the tow tank.
High Resolution (295K)
High Resolution (295K)
A ship model in the making
A ship model with a bulbous bow being tested
