The history of the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering began in 1905 when the University of Oklahoma established the School of Applied Science consisting of Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering. In 1908, James Houston Felgar became the Director of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, a position which he filled until 1925. In 1909, the College of Engineering was established and James Felgar served as the Dean of the College of Engineering from 1909 to 1937. In 2015, the College of Engineering was renamed the Gallogly College of Engineering (GCoE).
An Aeronautical Engineering option was added to the Mechanical Engineering program in 1929, which spurred the construction of the Wind Tunnel in 1936. During this timeframe, the Mechanical Engineering program was first accredited on October 1, 1936. These important milestones in the development of the program took place under the tenure of William Henry Carson. He served as Director of the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 1927 to 1942. Like Dean Felgar, he also served as Dean of the College of Engineering during this time.
In 1947, the Department of Aeronautical Engineering was established within the School of Mechanical Engineering. The School of Aeronautical Engineering was established as separate from the School of Mechanical Engineering in 1954. However, this name did not last long; the school was named the School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering in 1959 in order to keep up with the national trends. In 1963, the School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering and the School of Mechanical Engineering merged to become the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME).
Today, AME is one of seven schools within GCoE at the University of Oklahoma. Located in historic Felgar Hall, AME's vision is to be recognized as the premier learning community of faculty, staff and students that upholds collegiality and synergistic collaboration in the pursuit of academic excellence. We strive to be a community that values both individual and collective achievements. In keeping with this vision, AME offers students an engineering education that emphasizes rigorous engineering curricula coupled with learning through doing. Students at all levels - undergraduate and graduate - have opportunities to participate in a number of learning experiences.
