100 Years of Teaching the World to Soar

The School of Aerospace Engineering has its roots in waning days of World War I when the Georgia School of Technology helped to train U.S. Army pilots for a brief time. Our name and our legacy truly flourished in 1930, when philanthropist Daniel Guggenheim donated $300,000 to establish a center for aeronautical research -- one of seven such grants that he made at various institutions across the country.

That money immediately went to work: $91,088 for the Guggenheim Building;  $41,829 for equipment and maintenance; and $150,213 for an endowment. Under the provisions of a prior agreement with the State of Georgia, Fulton County, and the City of Atlanta, an additional $9,000, per year was furnished to operate a School of Aeronautics. About $6,000 in annual endowment funds were then committed to aeronautical research. Eighteen students attended the first classes, which were held in the newly constructed Guggenheim Building in 1931. Freshmen and sophomores took mechanical engineering courses; it was only during junior and senior years that they had access to the six basic aeronautical courses offered.

A lot has changed since then. In 1962, our name was officially changed to the School of Aerospace Engineering - a move that better reflected our growing influence in areas beyond aeronautics. But one thing remains the same: the Daniel Guggenheim School continues to stress both fundamental engineering and ground-breaking research.