Illinois Institute of Technology

In 1890 when advanced education was often reserved for society's elite, Chicago minister Frank Wakeley Gunsaulus delivered what came to be known as the "million dollar sermon." From the pulpit of his South Side church, near the site Illinois Institute of Technology now occupies, Gunsaulus said that with $1 million, he could build a school where students of all backgrounds could prepare for meaningful roles in a changing industrial society.

Inspired by Gunsaulus's vision, Philip Danforth Armour Sr. (1832–1901) gave $1 million to found Armour Institute—and Armour, his wife, Malvina Belle Ogden Armour (1842–1927), and their son Jonathan Ogden Armour (1863–1927), continued to support the university in its early years. When Armour Institute opened in 1893, it offered professional courses in engineering, chemistry, architecture, and library science.

Illinois Tech was created in 1940 by the merger of Armour Institute and Lewis Institute. Located on the West Side of Chicago, Lewis Institute, established in 1895 by the estate of hardware merchant and investor Allen C. Lewis, offered liberal arts as well as science and engineering courses for both men and women. At separate meetings held by their respective boards on Oct. 26, 1939, the trustees of Armour and Lewis voted to merge the two colleges. A Cook County circuit court decision on April 23, 1940, solidified the merger.

Illinois Tech’s mission statement captures explicitly the character of the education paradigm that Illinois Tech’s academic units are contributing in both education and research. The key word is relevant: embracing the faculty’s commitment to providing an education that focuses on preparing our students for fulfilled lives after graduation and for careers that contribute to solving important problems facing humanity.

We are a supportive and collaborative community where students, faculty, staff, and alumni are valued and respected. We appreciate that our community comes from many backgrounds and many parts of the world. We embrace the contributions that differences offer, as diversity of thought and experience allows excellence to flourish. We are committed to providing a working and learning environment in which all members of our community are able to realize their full potential. Our mission will be carried out within this context.

Illinois Tech will be internationally recognized in distinctive areas of education and research, using as its platform the global city of Chicago, driven by a professional and technology-oriented focus, and based on a culture of innovation and excellence.