The History of MIT
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this history course tracing the institute from its 1861 founding under William Barton Rogers to the present, set against the broader history of science and technology. Lessons cover MIT's educational philosophy, biographies of notable students and professors, the growth of its laboratories and research practices, and its shifting relationships with Boston, the federal government, and industry. Several sessions run concurrent with the MIT150 Symposia held for the institute's sesquicentennial. Materials include a full syllabus, readings, and assignments consisting of short papers, in-class presentations, and a final research paper. The course works well for anyone interested in how a single institution's internal decisions, funding sources, and culture shaped, and were shaped by, larger currents in American science and technology. No certificate is offered, but all readings and assignments are posted free through MIT OpenCourseWare.