| 1891 |
University opens with David S. Jordan as President, who states that "A professor to whom original investigation is unknown should have no place in a university." |
| 1892 |
A.P. Carman appointed Professor of Electricity in the Physics Department and begins teaching classes in Electrical Engineering. |
| 1893 |
F.A.C. Perrine is appointed the first Professor of Electrical Engineering. The program of study is centered on the design and construction of central generating plants for electricity. |
| 1894 |
The first B.A. in Electrical Engineering is awarded. |
| 1898 |
Perrine departs and EE is administered by either Civil of Mechanical Engineering Professors until 1905. These include Prof. Marx who was instrumental in establishing city owned municipal utilities for Palo Alto. |
| 1905 |
Harris J. Ryan appointed Professor and Chair of Electrical Engineering. Prof. Ryan introduces the study of high voltage transmission of electric power. Electrical Engineering undergraduate study is made a specialty in ME. |
| 1912 |
Lee de Forest invents the electronic amplifier at 913 Emerson Street, Palo Alto. |
| 1916 |
Ray L. Wilbur appointed President of the University |
| 1917 |
The University goes on the quarter calendar. |
| 1919 |
First PhD in EE awarded to Leonard F. Fuller, who later became Chair of EE at UC Berkeley. |
| 1920 |
F.E. Terman graduates in Chemistry. |
| 1922 |
F.E. Terman receives the Engineer degree in EE and leaves for MIT to obtain a doctorate. |
| 1923 |
EE Faculty consists of H.J. Ryan (Professor), J.C. Clark (Associate Professor), H.H. Henline (Assistant Professor), and T.H. Morgan and W. Kindy (Instructors) |
| 1924 |
Henline initiates the Communications Laboratory
Terman receives the D.Sc. at MIT. |
| 1925 |
School of Engineering established
Theodore Jesse Hoover becomes Dean of Engineering.
All Undergraduate degrees in Engineering to be given by the School, no longer by Departments. F. E.
Terman appointed half-time Instructor in EE.
Terman, a ham radio operator, introduces courses in Radio.
The Ryan High Voltage Laboratory is opened with substantial financial support from the Power Industry and the City of Los Angeles. |
| 1926 |
F.E. Terman takes over the Communications Lab. |
| 1928 |
H. H. Skilling appointed as Instructor (acting) in EE. |
| 1931 |
H. J. Ryan becomes Emeritus
H.H. Skilling receives his PhD from Stanford.
Ward Kindy appointed Acting Chair of EE and remains so until 1937, during which time the Department basically remained Kindy, Terman, Carroll, Skilling, Brown, and Bill Hoover |
| 1936 |
Jessie Hoover retires as Dean of Engineering and Samuel Morris of Civil Engineering is appointed Dean of Engineering |
| 1937 |
F.E.Terman appointed EE Chair
The Klystron is invented by the Varian brothers and W.W Hansen. |
| 1938 |
Karl Spangenberg appointed to the EE faculty. He introduces courses and research in Vacuum Tubes. |
| 1939 |
The Hewlett-Packard company is formed |
| 1941 |
O.G. Villard is appointed and leads research in radio wave propagation.
Edward Ginzton receives his PhD in EE from Stanford. |
| 1942 |
J.M. Pettit receives his PhD in EE from Stanford. |
| 1943 |
Donald B. Tresidder appointed President of the University |
| 1941 |
The University celebrates its 50th Anniversary
December 7 Pearl Harbor is attacked by Japan
December 8 USA enters WWII. |
| 1942 |
F. E. Terman goes to Harvard to head the Radio Research Laboratory (RRL).
H.H. Skilling made acting Chair of EE in Terman's absence |
| 1944 |
F.E. Terman appointed Dean of Engineering
Hugh H. Skilling appointed Head of EE and Acting Dean until Terman's return in 1945. |
| 1945 |
First M.A. in EE awarded, soon changed to the M.S.
Ginzton appointed Assistant Professor of EE and of Physics.
The Klystron project is transferred from EE to Physics. |
| 1946 |
The Microwave Laboratory is founded in the Physics Department and housed on the quad, with W.W. Hansen as its first Director. |
| 1947 |
The first Linear Accelerator is designed and built under the guidance of W. W. Hansen of Physics and E. Ginzton of Electrical Engineering.
Joint Services Electronics Contract is signed, starting large scale Federal support of Department Research. |
| 1949 |
The Microwave Laboratory moves into a new building and Edward Ginzton becomes director. The Lab will later become the Ginzton Laboratory. |
| 1948 |
Donald B. Tresidder dies and J. E. W. Sterling appointed President of the University. |
| 1951 |
Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL) opens. Construction continues through 1956 with significant support from HP and Gilfillan. |
| 1954 |
William Shockley, coinventor of the first transistor in 1947, appointed Lecturer. He will remain a Lecturer being appointed Professor of Electrical Engineering in 1963.
Honors Cooperative Program begins providing access to Stanford EE degrees by working engineers. |
| 1955 |
Terman appointed Provost
First Stanford courses in digital and analog computing taught by Lecturer Allen M. Petersen, who becomes an Assistant Professor the following year. Peterson also ran the IBM 650 computer in ERL (the only air-conditioned room in the building). Students had only a single try to hand in their course project IBM cards for running on the machine, which had 2 kilobytes of memory. Ron Bracewell arrives as Associate Professor, initiating work on Radio Astronomy. John Linvill arrives as Associate Professor, expanding work in Solid State.
William Shockley founds Shockley Semiconductors in Palo Alto, a seminal, if not successful, company in Silicon Valley. Two years later 8 engineers will leave Shockley Semiconductors to found Fairchild Semiconductors, which in turn will spawn Intel Corporation in 1968. Shockley shared the 1957 Nobel Prize. |
| 1957 |
Gene Farthing Franklin appointed as Assistant Professor, moving classes on servomechanisms into the systems and control age. |
| 1958 |
Pettit appointed Dean of Engineering
Applied Electronics Laboratory (AEL) constructed to support military classified research in electronic countermeasures. |
| 1964 |
J. G. Linvill appointed Chair of EE |
| 1969 |
The Stanford Instructional Television Network begins broadcasting EE classes to Silicon Valley.
Durand Building constructed and the H.H. Skilling classroom facility constructed. |
| 1970 |
The AEL building is occupied by students and others who demand that the University discontinue all classified research. |
| 1972 |
W. Kays appointed Dean of Engineering |
| 1981 |
R. L. White appointed Chair of EE |
| 1984 |
The Center for Integrated Systems building is opened. |
| 1984 |
J. Gibbons appointed Dean of Engineering |
| 1986 |
Quate appointed Chair of EE |
| 1988 |
Goodman appointed Chair of EE |
| 1994 |
Franklin appointed Acting Chair |
| 1995 |
Goodman returns as Chair of EE
W. Gates Building for Computer Science opens, dedicated in 1996.
National Research Council study ranks Stanford EE graduate program first. |
| 1996 |
Bruce Wooley appointed Acting Chair
J. Hennessy appointed Dean of Engineering |
| 1997 |
James D. Plummer appointed Chair of EE. |
| 1999 |
John Hennessey appointed Provost.
In June, the Packard building opens. |
| 1999 |
James D. Plummer appointed Dean of Engineering
Bruce Wooley appointed Chair |
| 9/00 |
John L. Hennessy appointed President |
| 2009 |
Mark Horowitz appointed Chair of EE |
| 2012 |
Abas El Gamal appointed Chair of EE |
