Norwich University was the first private U.S. institution of higher learning to offer engineering, and its graduates have made their mark on the world. From the railroads to the first alternating-current electrical plant, Capt. Alden Partridge’s foresight and commitment to engineering education has pushed design, construction and manufacturing to new heights.
The David Crawford School of Engineering remains faithful to this vision, training its engineering students to test their intellect and limitations.
Maj. Gen. Grenville Mellen Dodge, 1831–1916
Maj. Gen. Grenville Dodge
A member of the Class of 1851, Dodge was a civil engineer who succeeded on an immense scale. As an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War, he rose to the rank of major general and used his expertise to build railroads and bridges necessary to the Union victory. He was later chief engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad, a key piece of the first transcontinental railroad. learn more
Edward Dean Adams, 1846–1930
Adams was a member of the Class of 1864. He was an engineer and scientist best known for pioneering the construction of the hydroelectric power system at Niagara Falls. It was the first large-scale, alternating current electric generating plant in the world, built in 1895. For his contributions, he made the cover of TIME magazine in 1929. learn more
Richard E. Hayden, 1946–present
Richard E. Hayden
Hayden is a specialist in acoustics who earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Norwich and went on to study at Purdue. At Bolt, Beranek and Newman, he embarked on a study of the acoustics of flow/surface interactions. In 1973, he won the Wright Brothers medal for his paper, “Fundamental Aspects of Noise Reduction from Powered Lift Devices.” This award recognizes individuals who have contributed to engineering design, development and operation of air and space vehicles.