Studying At Purdue
In 1947, Neil Armstrong began his studies at Purdue University in West Lafayette. He received his bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering and later went on to receive a Master's degree in Engineering from the University of Southern California. He was also given several honorary doctorates from other various Universities (Dunbar, 2012). According to Purdue's College of Engineering website, the 1940s were a time when only 25% of students finished high school and even less went on to college (less than one percent). He was the second person in his family to pursue an education and according to Armstrong himself, "I just couldn't have been happier with what I was doing, going into engineering" (Neil Armstrong and Purdue, 2014).
Above: photo of Purdue's clock tower at dusk.
The moon can be seen in the background. (Purdue, 2012)
The moon can be seen in the background. (Purdue, 2012)
Student Life at Purdue
Along with pursing his academic career that would eventually make him the first man on the moon, Armstrong also participated in student life while at Purdue University. Based on a recent survey, only 75% of those I interviewed were aware that Armstrong was actually a member of a fraternity while at Purdue (Strickler, 2014) He joined a fraternity known as Phi Delta Theta in 1955 and today he is still esteemed by his fellow brothers as a prominent alumni of their fraternity (Prominent Alumni). When Armstrong died in 2012 at the old age of 82, his brothers displayed their fraternity flag in his honor at Armstrong's memorial service, shown at the right (Purdue University 2012).
Legacy At Purdue
Even after Armstrong graduated from Purdue and went on to join NASA and walk on the moon, Armstrong remained an important alumni of the school. In late October 2007 (Venere 2007) a new building on campus was finished and was named Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering in the astronaut's honor. Armstrong himself returned to Purdue to speak at the dedication. He also posed next to the statue (below) that was created to immortalize him for future generations. After his death in 2012, his statue became a lasting memorial to the man who defied the odds and was the first to set foot on the moon.
Neil Armstrong statue on display in front of Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering. (Purdue, 2012)
Neil Armstrong posing next to his statue at Purdue University. (Purdue, 2012)