About ECE: A Brief History
The popularity of electrical engineering courses in 1904, coupled
with the demand for programs in engineering fields other than
electrical, led to the creation of the School of Engineering
in 1906.
Residents of New Mexico wishing to study engineering
in 1907 received free tuition. Nonresidents paid $10 a semester.
Room and board totaled a mere $20 a month.
 Between 1904 and
1917, the department evolved from a two semester course of
instruction to a four-year undergraduate degree-granting program.
In addition to the annual tug-of-war, students in
the Colleges of Engineering and Arts & Sciences challenged
one another in highly publicized basketball games, road races
and even swim meets throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s.
In 1944, Mrs. Pid Urquhart received her BS in electrical
engineering making her the first female graduate of the Department
of Electrical Engineering.
In 1956, the Electrical Engineering Department began
a Doctor of Science degree-granting program.
The department took on the current name of Electrical
& Computer Engineering in 1979.
In 1986, construction was completed on the new ECE
building. Officials used a laser for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The building houses research labs for such things as robotics,
hearing aid research and artificial intelligence. The Centennial
Science and Engineering library is also located in part of
the 2-story underground portion of the building.
In 1995, several ECE professors received teaching
awards, a testament to the emphasis on teaching in the department.
Today, the ECE department continues to command nationwide
recognition and respect--a direct result of over ninety years
of history on the University of New Mexico campus.
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