Lawrence Technological University

History

Russell Lawrence founded the college of engineering in the midst of the Great Depression and with only a few hundred students and a handful of faculty. Classes were originally held in a building leased from Henry Ford adjacent to a huge manufacturing facility on Woodward Avenue. Ford built the Model T and perfected the moving assembly line in this location. "Theory and Practice" were ingrained side-by-side and helped prepare students for leadership in a new technical era.

From the beginning, there were no restrictions on entering students relating to race, color, creed, or national or ethnic origin—only the requirement that students qualify for admission and have the desire to succeed. Lawrence Tech provided the opportunity for working students to earn a baccalaureate degree by attending evening programs, day programs, or a combination of the two—a unique feature in 1932.

E. George Lawrence, Russell Lawrence's brother, became President in 1934 and helped usher growth of programs, including the move to a new location in Southfield. In 1935, the four-quarter academic calendar was developed. As enrollment grew, the University acquired acreage at the John C. Lodge Freeway and 10 Mile Road on what had been a General Mills research farm. In 1950, associate programs were added to Lawrence Tech's baccalaureate offerings. In 1952 the College of Management was created, having its origins in an earlier industrial engineering curriculum. In 1955, Lawrence Tech opened its first building on the Southfield Campus to house all of these programs. The College of Architecture and Design evolved in 1962 from the former architectural engineering department.

Wayne H. Buell, who served as president from 1964 to 1977 and as chair of the board and chief executive officer until 1981, worked to build a firm foundation for the University's early emergence as a technological leader. He first advanced the notion that Lawrence Tech was a private college serving a public purpose. The College of Arts and Sciences was established under his watch in 1967.

Richard E. Marburger, served as president from 1977 to 1993 and as chair of the board of trustees and chief executive officer. His presidency was marked by the addition of graduate degrees, the massive growth of computer facilities. In 1977, Lawrence Tech shed its "commuter" classification by opening the nine-story University Housing-South residence hall. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Affleck House in Bloomfield Hills was donated to the University in 1978. The Wayne H. Buell Management Building and the Don Ridler Field House were completed during his presidency. Numerous improvements to existing buildings, and a substantial increase in state-of-the-art laboratory and computer equipment were highlights of these years. Master's degree programs in management were launched in 1989, and in engineering in 1990. Simultaneously, LIT's change to its present name, Lawrence Technological University, was approved on January 1, 1989, by the State of Michigan, and more clearly described Lawrence Tech's undergraduate and graduate mission.

Charles M. Chambers became president in 1993 and served as chancellor in 2006. During his presidency, he oversaw significant enhancement of the University's international reputation as a distinguished center of technological education and research. A Strategic Plan and Campus Master Plan were adopted to guide the University. Other achievements included construction of the University Technology and Learning Center, University Housing-North; the A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center; a redeveloped campus quadrangle; the Center for Innovative Materials Research; establishment of a Faculty Senate; conversion of the computer system to a client server model with full Internet2 connectivity and online library access; creation of Michigan's first completely wireless laptop campus; and expanded bookstore, dining, and student activity facilities. Master of Architecture program was added in 1993, and graduate degree in Arts and Sciences in 1997. Doctoral programs were launched in 2002. The University Technology and Learning Center opened in 2001, University Housing-North in 2002, and the A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center and the Center for Innovative Materials Research in 2006.

Lewis N. Walker was named interim president in February 2006, became president on July 1, and was inaugurated on November 2, 2006. He had previously served as provost, the University's chief academic officer, and executive vice president. Walker was committed to developing the leadership skills of Lawrence Tech's students and worked with faculty to add a leadership component to the curricula of all undergraduate programs. In addition, he engaged in partnerships with universities worldwide that brought international students to campus and provided further opportunities for Lawrence Tech students to study abroad. Most importantly, Lewis Walker was a valued tenured faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Varsity athletics returned under his watch in 2011. Virinder K. Moudgil was named president in July 2012, and was inaugurated in September. He had previously served as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Interim Provost, and Provost at Oakland University. In the fall of 2015, Lawrence Tech opened their third on-campus housing unit, Lloyd E. Reuss Residence Hall. Concurrently, there has been an enormous expansion and improvement of facilities, including the building of the A. Alfred Taubman Complex, a 36,600-square-foot, $16.9 million building housing new laboratories and collaboration spaces for biomedical engineering, robotics, life sciences research, and the university's SAE motorsports teams. The Taubman Complex will also be the home of the new Marburger STEM Center. Established by a $20 million anonymous grant, the Marburger STEM Center will consolidate, organize and expand the university's efforts to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and career preparation at all levels, from preschool through postgraduate. .

Present Day

Today it offers over 100 programs in four colleges, with a total enrollment of nearly 4,500 students, and employs over 400 full- and part-time faculty. In terms of enrollment, Lawrence Tech is among Michigan's largest independent colleges.

The A. Alfred Taubman Complex, dedicated in September 2016, was the result of the University's 10-year capital campaign. Established with an initial fundraising goal of $75 million, the campaign recently closed, having raised more than $125 million. The university has named Sibrina Nichelle Collins, former director of education at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History in Detroit, as the Marburger STEM Center's initial director.

Lawrence Tech has consistently been among the Top Tier for "Universities–Master's (Midwest)" by U.S. News & World Report. Lawrence Technological University's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is 54th in the category Regional Universities (Midwest). In addition, the University tied for 49th of 100 "Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs" in U.S. News & World Report's Best Universities-Masters-Midwest in 2010. Other distinctions include: Princeton Review "Best in the Midwest" in 2010; Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognition, 2009; G. I. Jobs "Military Friendly School", 2010; State of Michigan Center of Excellence for Sustainable Infrastructure and Structural Testing; an Intel "Top 50 Unwired Campus"; a Michigan Green Leader; Architectural Record among "America's Best Architectural Schools" in construction methods and materials; and Michigan's Going Green Award." Bloomberg-Businessweek also reported that the earning power of a Lawrence Tech bachelor's degree ranks in the highest 30 percent of all U.S. universities. And the website PayScale.com rated Lawrence Tech 56th in the nation in return on investment in college tuition, out of 1,343 institutions reviewed nationwide,

3,033 students are enrolled as of 2015, 76% male and 24% female. The acceptance rate for students (in 2014) is 57.6%.

College of Architecture and Design

The college offers numerous undergraduate and graduate opportunities as outlined below.

College of Engineering

The college offers numerous undergraduate and graduate opportunities as outlined below.

College of Arts and Sciences

The college offers numerous undergraduate and graduate opportunities as outlined below.

College of Management

The college offers numerous undergraduate and graduate opportunities as outlined below.

Athletics

Lawrence Tech teams are known as the Blue Devils. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) while men's ice hockey team is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) at the Division III level as a member of the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC). Men's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, ice hockey, lacrosse and soccer; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, lacrosse, soccer and volleyball.

Lawrence Tech fielded athletic teams throughout its history from 1930 to 1962. The 1950–51 men's basketball team played the 1951 National Invitation Tournament, held at Madison Square Garden in New York. Lawrence Tech was defeated by Dayton, 71-77 in the opening round of the tournament. Blaine Denning, an alumnus from the 1951 team, went on to play professional basketball with the Baltimore Bullets of the NBA.

Lawrence Tech re-instated athletic programs in 2011 and joined the NAIA. Men's soccer and bowling, along with women's volleyball, joined the already established men's ice hockey team for the university's athletic offerings during the 2011–12 academic year. During its fifth season in the NAIA, the university will field teams in men's baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, soccer and tennis, and women's basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.

Thanks to a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor, during the summer of 2016 Lawrence Tech constructed an AstroTurf surface athletic field at the Point, the part of campus at the intersection of Northwestern Highway and 10 Mile Road. LTU's men's and women's soccer and lacrosse teams will be playing on this field beginning in August 2016. The project also includes a 40-car parking lot. Future plans for the site include lights for nighttime games, permanent stands, and a concession and restroom building.

Student Organizations

On campus extracurricular activities include leadership opportunities and more than 40 clubs. Student Government represents all organizations on campus.

Fraternities and Sororities

The University is also home to chapters of fraternities, including Alpha Sigma Phi, Theta Tau, Sigma Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Upsilon, and Phi Beta Sigma. The sororities represented on campus include Chi Omega Rho, Delta Tau Sigma, Delta Phi Epsilon, and Kappa Beta Gamma.

Notable alumni

The following is a list the presents other notable alumni.

Notable faculty and staff