Timeline of Harvey Mudd College

1955

Early discussions

After the death of Harvey S. Mudd (1888–1955), Claremont College Board of Fellows’ Committee on Future Colleges recommends a new college be established, “one that teaches engineering and science in a humanistic setting.” Mildred Mudd donates $250,000 for the College; another $500,000 comes from Claremont College endowment funds.

1955

Harvey Mudd is official

Harvey Mudd College becomes a legal entity on December 14, 1955, making it the fifth of what will eventually become the seven-institution complex of The Claremont Colleges.

1956

HMC’s first president

Physicist Joseph B. Platt accepts the offer to become president of Harvey Mudd College.

1956

Master planning

HMC owns 18 acres of land; campus master plan established by architects Edward Durell Stone and Earl Heitschmidt.

1957

Seven to start

Four professors and three assistant professors make up the faculty: William Davenport, professor of humanities; J. Arthur Campbell, professor of chemistry; Robert James, professor of mathematics; Duane Roller, professor of physics; George Wickes, assistant professor of humanities; Roy A. Whiteker, assistant professor of chemistry; and Graydon Bell, assistant professor of physics.

1957

Vote for co-ed

HMC board of trustees votes to admit women.

1957

College opens

The College officially opens in September 1957 with seven faculty members, 48 students (one woman, Jenny Rhine), three administrators (including President Joe Platt) and one dormitory (Mildred E. Mudd Hall/East)—the only building on campus. Tuition is $800.

1958

Henry T. Mudd, Chair

Henry T. Mudd becomes chair of the board after the death of his mother, Mildred Mudd. Henry serves as chair for 23 years.

1958

Honor Code

Honor Code adopted by the students and approved by the faculty.

1958

Saddle Rock start

First Saddle Rock board meeting held on Henry T. Mudd’s ranch near Malibu.

1959

Parent support

HMC forms first parents’ organization chaired by L.J. Barden of Guasti.

1959

Building progress

The Jacobs Science Center completed. Campus consists of three dormitories, a president’s house, a laboratory building, and swimming pool.

1959

The first graduates

Two students—Stuart Black and Peter Loeb—graduate during the first commencement. Ceremony is nationally televised.

1960

Official seal

College seal, designed by Thomas Jamieson, officially adopted.

1961

Consortium established

The Associated Colleges officially becomes The Claremont Colleges.

1961

Venus fountain

Henry Mudd acquires from Florence, Italy, a fountain in the form of Venus to be placed on campus.

1961

First four-year class

Founding Class of 1961, 32 members graduate.

1961

Annual holiday gathering

The first recorded non-Homecoming event on campus was a Christmas party, which occurred annually through 1981.

1962

Computing power

HMC buys its first computer, an IBM 1620.

1962

International student

HMC admits its first international student, Paul Vitta.

1962

Class of 1962

Thirty-six students graduate, more than doubling the number of graduates, the only graduating class with this distinction.

1962

Bates Aero Program

Bates Foundation is established to support the Bates aeronautics program, led by Iris and Howard Critchell. Program runs until 1990.

1962

Platt Campus Center

Joseph B. Platt Campus Center completed. Dedication postponed due to assassination of President Kennedy on Nov. 22.

Clinic Program begins

Engineering Clinic Program created in 1963 by professors Jack Alford and Mack Gilkeson, with monetary assistance from the National Science Foundation and the Sloan Foundation. First Engineering Clinic project is sponsored in 1964 by United States Steel Foundation.

1965

Fundraising campaign

Impact/72 is launched to raise $18.75 million and increase the student body to 400 by 1972.

1965

Alumni Association

HMC Alumni Association officially formed.

1966

Bug prank

A Volkswagen owned by Gary Jahns ’66 appears in a hallway of East Dorm. Pranksters Jim Dewar, Charlie Brown, Terry Needham and Ernie Sullivan admit to tipping the car on end to get it there.

1966

Grading reprieve

Freshman year grading changes to pass/fail.

1966

Small school, big impact

HMC graduates more physics majors than USC and more chemistry majors than Stanford.

1968

South Dorm

South Hall/Marks Residence Hall built with support from David X. Marks.

1966

First AABOG meeting

Original officers: Robert Hall ’62 (president), David Goodsell ’62 (VP), Janet Cook ’62 (secretary), Dennis Diestler ’64 (treasurer). Founding Class member Jerry Van Hecke ’61 was also a founding governor.

1969

Community values

Statement of student rights and responsibilities drafted and endorsed by faculty, ASHMC, and adopted by trustees.

1969

Master’s program

Five-year master of engineering program approved. Collaboration with Claremont Graduate School/University continues until 2003.

1970

Libra complex

Construction begins on Libra complex, which consists of a second laboratory building, the Sprague Library, refurbishing of the initial laboratory building and construction of lecture auditoria.

1970

Freshman Division

HMC faculty create the Freshman Division, a group of faculty with full responsibility for designing, teaching, altering and grading the academic work of all first-year students.

1970

Alum faculty member

Gerald Van Hecke ’61 joins faculty and later becomes first HMC alumnus to earn tenure at Mudd.

1970

First woman faculty member, tenure track

First woman appointed to tenure track position: J’nan Morse Sellery, assistant professor in humanities and social sciences.

1971

Parsons building

Ralph M. Parsons Engineering building completed. Mr. Parsons receives HMC’s first honorary doctorate in engineering.

1972

Construction zone

Galileo Hall, Hixon Court and W.M. Keck Laboratories completed.

1972

Unicycles

Unicycle craze begins on campus with Class of 1972 members Karl Rudnick, Richard Jones, Ted Cox, Floyd Spencer and David Van Vactor.

1972

First alum board member

Malcolm Lewis ’67 becomes first alumnus to join HMC Board of Trustees.

1973

Beginnings of CS

HMC faculty vote to establish computer science group.

1973

First Math Clinic

First Mathematics Clinic involves client Bell and Howell and microfilm readers.

1973

Student research journal

“Interface,” first interdisciplinary journal of HMC student research published.

1974

Enrollment grows

Enrollment is largest in history of College (463 students), with applications up 8.5 percent over 1973, the first increase since 1970. Housing shortage persists until the early ’80s.

1975

Sprague leads with microfiche

HMC’s Sprague Memorial Library is one of first libraries in the country to put its card catalog on microfiche, increasing efficiency and saving money.

1976

Campaign 25/32

Launched in 1976, the campaign, A Second Generation of Commitment, runs for four years and raises $25 million for the College. It funds endowment, operating funds, building debt, curriculum development/faculty research, and equipment and biological sciences laboratories.

1976

Upward Bound

Upward Bound program, led by Octavio Bubion, moves to the HMC campus.

1976

Women’s athletics

Scripps, CMC and HMC develop joint program for women’s athletics to include swimming, volleyball and tennis.

1977

Origin of biology

Instruction in biology begins on campus with appointment of William L. Purves.

1977

Campus extended

Busy Mills Ave. closed to through traffic. East end of HMC campus takes shape.

1978

MESA

Under the leadership of Professor Tom Woodson, HMC starts the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program. It continues until the early 2000s.

1978

High selectivity ranking

In a 1978 UCLA research group study about selectivity, HMC is ranked eighth in nation, ahead of Princeton and Stanford.

1979

Computing innovation

In cooperation with CMC, Pitzer and Scripps, HMC buys VAX 11-780 computer, installed on HMC campus. It is first VAX computer sold to an undergraduate college and only the second to be installed in Southern California.

1979

Land expansion

HMC acquires 20 acres of land east of Mills Ave.

1979

Alumni Day

The first Alumni Day (now Alumni Weekend) brings 100 attendees to campus and includes a paper airplane contest.

1979

Wright Prize

Inauguration of The Wright Prize, enabled by H. Dudley Wright, industrialist, entrepreneur and College trustee, as an expression of his support for interdisciplinary study. Brings distinguished scientists and engineers of the day to campus. First recipient is Edwin H. Land, physicist. Last recipient in 2001 is biomathematician Nancy Kopell.

1980

Muddraker

Student newspaper, The Muddraker, established. First editor is Ian McCutcheon ’83.

1980

Mall dedication

Liquidambar Mall dedicated in honor of Trustee Ted Braun, longtime PR counsel.

1980

National award firsts

A.J. Shaka ’80 is HMC’s first Rhodes Scholarship recipient, and Alec Norton ’80 is College’s first Marshall Scholarship recipient.

1981

Atwood Dorm

John Leland (Lee) Atwood Residence Hall (New Dorm) completed, relieving housing shortage.

1981

First CS faculty member

Hiring of first computer science faculty member, Michael Erlinger.

1981

Military grad

Michelle Darling ’81/82 commissioned as second lieutenant, U.S. Army. She is first female HMC student to be cited as a distinguished military graduate.

1981

CS graphics lab

Grant from Jones Foundation enables computer graphics laboratory, the first undergraduate laboratory of its type on West Coast.

1982

Admission office moves to HMC

Emery Walker retires and the joint admission department agreement between HMC and CMC ends. New Director Duncan Murdoch sets up HMC’s first Office of Admission in renovated Kingston Hall and introduces the “Junk Mail” recruitment mailer, which proves to be a popular and effective marketing tactic.

1982

First alum department chair

Richard G. Olson ’62 is first HMC graduate to become a department chair (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences).

1983

Name change for East

East Hall renamed Mildred E. Mudd Hall.

1983

First Honorary Alum

Jean Platt, the College’s first first spouse, is named the recipient of the newly created Honorary Alumni Award for contributing significantly to the betterment of HMC students and alumni.

1984

CS Department

Department of Computer Science created.

1984

ROTC

Air Force ROTC classes first offered on campus.

1985

Case Hall

Florence H. and Gerald R. Case Residence Hall completed.

1985

Let the games begin

Playing field added to east end of campus.

1986

Epic prank

Caltech cannon stolen, displayed on HMC campus, then returned.

1985

Core updates

Major changes made to curriculum to allow more flexibility for students in the Common Core.

1986

2000th graduate

Vivek Hiremath ’86 is College’s 2,000th graduate.

1986

First legacy grad

James S. Barrera III ’86 is first second-generation Mudd graduate (his dad is Joseph S. Barrera II ’62).

1986

VAX computer rooms

New machine rooms in the basements of Parsons, Jacobs, Libra Complex, Kingston Hall accommodate VAX computers.

1987

First wired campus

Installation of an Ethernet network throughout the Libra complex completed. Followed by the installation of a fiber­ optic cable from the computer center to Kingston Hall, the Campus Center and all 6 residence halls, thus producing the campus “backbone.” HMC is first college in California to be completely wired.

1987

Mudd or bust

Bust of Henry Mudd cast in bronze is sculpted by Lewis Cohen.

1987

Campbell retires

J. Arthur Campbell, HMC’s first faculty member, retires.

1988

President Riggs

Henry E. Riggs becomes third HMC president.

1988

Land purchase

HMC acquires right to purchase five acres of land west of Sprague Library making possible further expansions of the physical plant.

1989

Biology major

Biology major is official. Bio 52 is a technical core requirement for all Mudders.

1989

Tenure first

Kerry Karukstis is first tenured woman faculty member in a technical field.

1990

Computer network

Computer network completed and dedicated. HMC is first undergraduate college in California to be completely wired.

1990

George McKelvey retires

George McKelvey, vice president for development, retires after having served for a longer continuous period than any other member of the faculty or staff.

1990

Henry T. Mudd dies

Generous benefactor Henry T. Mudd, son of Harvey S. and Mildred E. Mudd, dies. His contributions boost college assets beyond $100 million.

1990

Summer Institute precursor

Bridge Program inagurated (later named Summer Institute). It eases transition from high school to HMC for selected students.

1991

Parsons addition

Parsons Wing added to Parsons Engineering Building.

1992

Presentation Days

Inauguration of Presentation Days program, during which students present the results of capstone projects.

1992

CS major

Computer science major approved.

1992

Henry T. Mudd Prize

Henry T. Mudd Prize, funded by family and friends of Henry Mudd, awarded to faculty or staff who have provided outstanding service to HMC. First recipient is Founding President Emeritus Joseph B. Platt.

1993

Olin Science Center

The F.W. Olin Science Center built with funds from the F.W. Olin Foundation.

1993

Biology major

Biology major inaugurated.

1993

CS Clinic

Computer Science Clinic Program begins.

1993

Beckman

Beckman Hall built using funds from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.

1994

One of a Kind Campaign

The Campaign for Harvey Mudd College exceeds campaign goal of $70 million with $75.5 million raised.

1995

Off-campus major

Off-campus major approved.

1996

Physics Clinic

First Physics Clinic offered.

1996

Sofahenge

Anonymous pranksters create “Sofahenge” on the Liquidambar Mall.

1997

President Jon Strauss

Jon C. Strauss becomes fourth HMC president.

1997

ICM win

HMC is the first undergraduate institution to win the International Association of Computing Machinery Programming Contest.

1997

Lofty tradition

First Mt. Baldy alumni hike, a tradition that continues each September.

1997

CS and math major

First joint major established: computer science and mathematics.

1997

Binder Prize

Ann Villa, building attendant, receives first Mary G. Binder Prize, established by a gift from Professor Sam Tanenbaum and Carol Tanenbaum, his wife, to honor Carol’s mother, Mary G. Binder. It is given annually to outstanding support staff members.

Apker Award

The Department of Physics and Gwen Bell Porter ’98 win College’s first LeRoy Apker Award from the American Physical Society. (1998)

1998

Center for Design Education

Grant from General Electrical Fund enables Center for Design Education, headed by Clive Dym, Fletcher Jones Professor
of Engineering Design.

1999

MCM win

HMC teams win three Outstanding Awards at the Mathematical Competition in Modeling. At the time, no other school had done this.

2000

Rhodes Scholar No. 2

Elisha Peterson ’00, mathematics major, becomes HMC’s second Rhodes Scholar recipient, and one of youngest recipients ever at 19.

2000

Alumni gift

HMC receives first alumni gift in excess of $1 million from Csilla and Walt Foley ’69. Walt is the first alumnus to endow a professorship.

2000

Center for Environmental Studies

HMC establishes Center for Environmental Studies (predecessor of the Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment), and the Center sponsors a Clinic project.

2000

Putnam leaders

In Putnam Mathematical Competition, HMC outperforms nearly all other schools in participation and numbers of Top-100 finishers. Seven Mudders place in Top 100. HMC has highest participation (84) in nation.

2000

Liberal arts classification

HMC’s Carnegie Classification changes from Specialized School of Engineering and Technology to Baccalaureate College-Liberal Arts. HMC is ranked the 14th “best” Liberal Arts College in the nation.

2000

Outstanding Alumni Award

Renowned opthalmologist Susan Lewallen ’76 receives the HMC Alumni Association’s first Outstanding Alumni Award.

2001

Life Sciences Center

Keck Foundation award initiates Center for Quantitative Life Sciences.

2001

Entrepreneurial Network

Gary Evans, professor of economics (1981–2020), founds the HMC Entrepreneurial Network to connect those interested in entrepreneurship. Its first meetings are held in Berkeley, Santa Clara, La Jolla and San Francisco.

2001

Institutional Diversity

HMC establishes Office of Institutional Diversity.

2001

Math-bio major

Mathematical biology major added to curriculum.

2002

Solar power

College’s first solar array added to Case Residence Hall rooftop.

2003

Most wired campus

KABC-TV Channel 7 in Los Angeles reports that HMC is among “most wired” campuses in the country.

2003

Master of engineering concludes

Ryan Jackson ’02/03 and Brian Yoxall ’02/03 are last two graduates to complete the HMC/Claremont Graduate University master of engineering program, which is discontinued. A total of 219 graduates received M.E. degrees through the program.

2004

Sontag dorm

Frederick and Susan Sontag Residence Hall completed.

2004

Platt Blvd.

12th Street re-named Platt Blvd. in honor of Founding President and First Lady Joseph and Jean Platt.

2004

Pool demolished

Horace Bell Pool and locker facilities demolished to make way for Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons.

2004

Women professors

Number of full professors who are women double with promotion of Shenda Baker, chemistry, Lisette de Pillis, mathematics, and Patricia Sparks, physics.

2005

Math Department award

Inaugural award for an Exemplary Program or Achievement in a Mathematics Department is presented to HMC by American Mathematical Society.

2005

Computational collaboration

HMC joins World Community Grid to work on large computational projects via the Internet.

2005

Jay’s Place

Jay’s Place, HMC’s renovated late-night campus eatery (formerly The Little Pizza Place), established by the family of Jay Wolkin ’99.

2006

New dining hall

Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons officially opens for diners.

2006

Significant bequest

HMC receives largest bequest in its history ($15 million).

2006

Global Clinics

HMC begins Global Clinic Program to prepare students for the challenges of functioning as innovative engineers and scientists in a global context.

2006

Engineering design kudos

BusinessWeek lists HMC’s engineering design program as one of nation’s best.

2006

Strategic planning

During strategic planning sessions, HMC community strategizes size, structure, curriculum, student body makeup and impact upon society. Meeetings, roundtables, workshops and debates result in six themes.

2006

Clinic project in space

Clinic project for The Aerospace Corp., launched into space. Original design of camera circuitry boards on picosats were developed by 2003-2004 Clinic team.

2006

Lifetime Recognition Award

First awards for Lifetime Recognition presented by the HMC Alumni Association to Jean and Joe Platt, and longtime trustees Hubie Clark, Clifford Miller and Trude Taylor.

2007

First sustainability club

Students create Mudders Organizing for Sustainability Solutions and Engineers for a Sustainable World.

2007

Annenberg Speaker Series

Walter and Leonore Annenberg Fund for Leadership Development inaugurated and first speaker series held.

2007

ACT accepted

To reach a more diverse population, HMC begins accepting ACT test scores. Record numbers of applications received, 18% higher than previous year.

2007

Honorary doctorate awarded to first woman

Astronaut Mae Jemison is first woman and 11th recipient of HMC’s honorary doctorate of engineering degree.

2007

Platt improvements

Platt Campus Center upgraded. Additions include meeting space, music rooms, study areas.

2008

Study abroad milestone

Graduating class surpasses all previous classes with most students (38) who spent part of their undergrad years abroad.

2008

7C environmental fair

Students organize Earth to Claremont, the first consortium-wide environmental fair hosted by HMC’s Center for Environmental Studies.

2008

Climate Commitment

President Klawe signs American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and appoints campus-wide Sustainabilty Committee made up of members from all campus stakeholder groups.

2008

Transformative gift

$25-million gift pledged by Shanahan family is largest donation in HMC’s 53-year history.

2008

Engineering Fellowship

Pledge of $500,000 by Malcolm ’67 and Cynthia Lewis establishes Patton and Claire Lewis Fellowship in Engineering Professional Practice.

2008

Technology upgrade

Fletcher Jones Foundation’s $750,000 gift enables educational technology infrastructure upgrade.

2009

Klawe appointments

President Klawe elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences and named to Microsoft board of directors, becoming 10th member and second woman.

2009

Churchill Scholars

For the first time, HMC has two Churchill Scholarship recipients in the same year.

2009

Astronaut Hall of Famer

Pinky Nelson ’72 inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

2009

Land purchase

HMC purchases 11.46 acres, expanding campus and preparing for future opportunities.

2009

Core award

Mellon Foundation supports Core Curriculum revision with $419,000 grant.

2009

Math funding

$1 million gift establishes Kenneth A. and Diana G. Jonsson Professorship in Mathematics and the Jonsson Endowed Fund for mathematics department travel.

2010

Computing contest win

HMC team wins Southern California regionals and earns honorable mention at world finals of International Collegiate Programming Contest.

2010

Homework Hotline

HMC Homework Hotline created in cooperation with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. The program ends in 2024.

2010

Engineering creativity

Students create a Rube Goldberg machine that spans the residential area.

2010

Global Clinic gift

Global Clinic supported with $1 million gift from Vickery family.

2010

Clinic project takes deep dive

The Ocean Research and Conservation Association launches portable deep-sea webcam, a 2001 Clinic project.

2010

Mentor program

New student mentor program provides additional advising for first-year students.

2010

Core Curriculum update

HMC launches new Core Curriculum that provides rigorous broad-based knowledge and experience, creates flexibility to pursue intellectual passions, new interdisciplinary electives or foreign language.

2010

Women make up majority

Class of 2014 women (52%) outnumber men for first time in College’s history.

2011

Founding Class milestone

College’s first 50-year reunion celebrated by the Founding Class of 1961.

2012

Taylor Swift on campus

Travis Beckman ’14 and Yeahmoon Hong ’14 rally students across The Claremont Colleges to help Harvey Mudd College win an online contest that brings country artist Taylor Swift to Claremont for an intimate concert.

2012

Backgammon champs

HMC team wins first place, 2012 National Backgammon Collegiate Team Championships.

2012

Solar eclipse trip to Australia

Harvey Mudd community members travel together to view the Nov. 14, 2012 solar eclipse in Australia. Physics Professor Greg Lyzenga ’75 led the 10-day adventure that included snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef and exploring aboriginal culture.

2012

Gordon Prize

HMC Engineering faculty win prestigious Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education.

2013

Slow growth

Board of trustees votes to slowly grow the size of the College by 100 students over the next 10 years and approves 10 faculty positions to maintain student:faculty ratio.

2013

Shanahan Center completed

The LEED Gold-certified R. Michael Shanahan Center for Teaching and Learning is completed in time for fall 2013.

2013

Clinic 50th

The Clinic Program commemorates a half-century, its gold anniversary marked by recognition from the National Academy of Engineering, which names the Engineering Clinic one of 29 “exemplary engineering programs.”

2013

New engineering faculty chair

Harvey Mudd trustee John Benediktsson ’01 and his wife, Rajashree Karwa, both engineers, establish the Benediktsson-Karwa Endowed Faculty Chair.

2013

Huppe Internship

Maggie Lewis and Bob Huppe, parents of Ben Huppe ’14, establish the Huppe Memorial Internship to honor Ben’s memory and his passion for science and social justice.

2014

New concert series

Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts inaugurates concert series performed in Drinkward Recital Hall. It is renamed the Ken Stevens ’61 Founding Class Concert Series in 2017.

2014

Women engineers

Class of 2014: more engineering degrees conferred to women than to men, 56%.

2014

Endowed faculty chairs

New endowed faculty chairs: Wilson Chair in Arts and the Humanities; Johnson-Rae Chair; Malcolm Lewis Chair.

2014

Parsons Building renovations

Parsons renovations, new Clinic areas and updated spaces for engineering and HSA.

2015

Exemplary program

American Association of University Women calls HMC program exemplary in attracting women to computing.

2015

Hixon Center

Hixon Center for Sustainable Environmental Design established.

2016

Galileo Hall update

Galileo Auditoria modernized.

2016

Math and physics major

New joint major in math and physics approved.

2017

ICM win

HMC All-female team is an Outstanding winner (top 1 percent) in Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling.

2017

Upward Bound funded

Upward Bound receives five-year $670,000 Department of Education grant renewal.

2017

Teaching and Learning Center

New 5C Center for Teaching and Learning opens. Inaugural director is Darryl Yong ’96.

2017

Math and physics major

Joint major in math and physics approved.

2018

Drinkward dorm earns LEED

Wayne and Julie Drinkward Residence Hall is fourth building to earn LEED certification.

2019

Clinic solar panel project

A Clinic team designed a nonprofit solar panel factory—the first of its kind.

2019

STARS Silver rating

College receives a STARS Silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

2020

Fulbright first

Harvey Mudd College is a top producer of U.S. Fulbright scholars (faculty, researchers and administrators) for 2019–2020 among bachelor’s institutions.

2020

Faculty development

Harvey Mudd College becomes a member of the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity to support faculty and their professional development.

2020

Study abroad milestone

Forty-three Harvey Mudd College students study abroad during spring semester, the largest group in the College’s history.

2020

Project Connect

Office of Wellbeing creates Project Connect to help Harvey Mudd College students build new friendships across campus.

2021

Klawe steps down

After 15 years serving as president, Maria Klawe steps down. Her legacy includes significant growth in the College’s endowment, which helped advance Mudd’s facilities and financial aid. She also led during the construction of the R. Michael Shanahan Center for Teaching and Learning as well as new residential and academic buildings.

2020

Virtual career fair

Office of Career Services holds first virtual graduate school fair and partners again with Caltech to offer virtual career fairs.

2021

#StaySafeAtMudd

For fall 2021 during the pandemic, College establishes #StaySafeAtMudd guidelines, a safe, collaborative on-campus and virtual experience for students. More than 90% of faculty and staff and 99.4% of students are fully vaccinated by late summer.

2021

Sustainability projects

New sustainability projects: Two donor-funded ChargePoint dual-port charging stations, giving College six electric vehicle charging locations and solar carport and three arrays.

2021

McGregor Center

Scott A. McGregor Computer Science Center completed in spring 2021. Makerspace opens following appointment of new director, manager and student stewards.

2021

Grad school fair

Office of Career Services holds first virtual graduate school fair and partners again with Caltech to offer virtual career fairs.

2021

First-gen Forward

College earns First-gen Forward Designation for institutions of higher education that improve experiences and advance outcomes of first-generation college students.

2021

Large applicant pool

Class of 2026 applicant pool is largest at this point in the College’s history.

2021

New name for Hixon Center

Hixon Center for Sustainable Environmental Design renamed the Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment to serve as the locus for new climate studies courses and other curricular, co-curricular and research endeavors.

2022

Computer science program success

College’s successful effort to raise percentage of women majoring in computer science featured as a case study in Harvard Kennedy School Case Program, world’s largest case study repository for government and public policy educators.

2022

McGregor Center highlighted

Engineering News-Record California names Scott A. McGregor Computer Science Center Southern California’s Best Higher Education/Research Project.

2022

Rocketry Club

A record number of Mudd Advanced Rocketry Club members attend Rocketry Organization of California’s ROCstock 2021 and earn certifications.

2022

Recommitment to mission

After U.S. Supreme Court decision removes ability of schools to consider race and ethnicity in admission decisions, Harvey Mudd College re-commits to its mission of preparing students who understand the impact of their work on society and its rededication to working within the boundaries of the decision to maintain a diverse and thriving community of future leaders.

2022

Democratic engagement

Office of Civic and Community Engagement celebrates College’s recognition for ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting, promoting democratic engagement among students.

2022

CS in K–12 curriculum

Harvey Mudd joins Code.org and over 500 U.S. industry, nonprofit and education leaders to issue a letter calling on state governments and education leaders to “update the K–12 curriculum in each state for every student in every school to have the opportunity to learn computer science.”

2022

CS and physics major

 New joint major in computer science and physics approved.

2023

Supporting low-income families

Harvey Mudd joins other members of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities to launch The California Private College is Possible Initiative to advise California’s low-income families and first-generation prospective students.”

2023

STEMM Opportunity Alliance

Harvey Mudd College becomes a member of the STEMM Opportunity Alliance, an initiative to make equity in science fields a national priority and transform the American science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine ecosystem.

2023

Boissevain Chemistry Lectureship

Department of Chemistry receives a 2023 Jean Dreyfus Boissevain Lectureship for Undergraduate Institutions by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The award provides a grant for a leading researcher to give lectures in the chemical sciences support for chemistry summer research.

2023

Datathon champs

Harvey Mudd teams place first and second in Datathon Global Championship.

2023

Widening college access

Harvey Mudd College joins the Thrive Scholars College Collaborative, a network of college partners committed to fostering success for diverse and talented students.

2024

Chemistry and climate major

Faculty approves major in chemistry and climate, the first joint major with a climate focus.

2024

Civic education

Harvey Mudd joins College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, a new initiative aimed at advancing civic education. (2024)

ABS advancement

Student researchers, mentored by engineering professor Albert Dato identify a way to strengthen acrylonitrile butadiene styrene—a plastic widely used in the automotive, aerospace and electronic device industries—without adding a significant amount of weight to it.

2024

Top ICM team

Harvey Mudd team earns the designation of Outstanding in the 26th annual Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling, placing in the Top 18 out of 10,000 teams participating in the ICM.

2024

Demining technology

Harvey Mudd students develop demining technology to help Ukraine.

Interdisciplinary engineering curriculum

The College receives $349,410 grant from the National Science Foundation to help engineering faculty, students and interdisciplinary climate experts enhance how student engineers evaluate the environmental, social and ethical impacts of their professional practice. (2024)

Apker Award

Eritas Yang ’24, a PhD student in astrophysics at Princeton University, receives the American Physical Society’s 2024 LeRoy Apker Award for outstanding achievements in physics, the highest honor for undergraduate physicists in the United States.

2024

Expanding research capabilities

Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna College receive a $918,485 grant from the National Science Foundation to acquire a high-performance computing cluster that expands The Claremont Colleges’ research capabilities across multiple disciplines.

2024

CS and climate major

Joint major in computer science and climate approved.

2024

Musizi and Mudd

Through the Clinic Program, Harvey Mudd partners with Musizi University, Uganda’s first liberal arts university, to design and implement a computing-integrated curriculum for Ugandan students.

2024

Thrive Scholars network

Harvey Mudd joins the Thrive Scholars College Collaborative, a network of college partners committed to fostering success for diverse and talented students.

2025

STEM for a Better World

The final draft of the strategic plan, STEM for a Better World, was approved by the board of trustees on Jan. 25.

2025

Celebrating Iris Critchell

Harvey Mudd community mourns passing of Instructor Emerita Iris Critchell (1920–2025).

2025

Piano donation

Harvey Mudd donates its Bösendorfer grand piano to a local music instructor from Altadena who lost her home and belongings in the Eaton Fire.

2025

New Carnegie Classification

Harvey Mudd receives new Carnegie Classification for “Research Colleges and Universities,” reinforcing its distinctive research program that provides opportunities for its students to engage in meaningful, leading-edge discovery.

2025

Innovation Showcase

On April 4, the College held its first Innovation Showcase where six Innovation Accelerator projects were presented for consideration to advance to the seed stage of funding. Three projects advance to the Innovation Accelerator Laboratory: Data Science and Social Impact; Emerging Health Technology; and Thriving in the Core Curriculum.