Last Updated: 07/10/2026 | All information is accurate and still up-to-date

The history of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University is closely tied to the broader story of engineering education in the United States. From its earliest days, the department has shown vision during hardship and strength through service and innovation. Over time, it has grown steadily while adapting to meet the needs of industry, society and future generations of engineers. This full history reflects leadership, resilience and a commitment to progress.

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

This account draws from carefully documented sources that preserve the department’s full history. Former department heads Robert Carson and Clifton Anderson prepared important historical records that captured major milestones and transitions. In addition, research conducted in the University Archives of the D. H. Hill Library helped confirm key facts and provide deeper context.

Clarence Smith, who served as ISE Assistant Department Head, compiled a comprehensive departmental history and presented it at the 75th Anniversary Celebration on November 3, 2006. His work organized decades of achievement into a clear narrative.

Later, ISE Communications updated the full history with assistance from department heads Paul Cohen and Julie Swann. Their efforts ensured that recent accomplishments and developments were included in the official record. As a result, this history honors the department’s past while guiding its future.

The Beginnings: Vision During Uncertain Times (1930–1945)

The year was 1930, and the Great Depression gripped the nation. At the same time, builders began the Empire State Building. Meanwhile, inventors patented the jet engine and discovered Pluto, later reclassified. During this period of challenge and progress, Industrial Engineering first appeared in the NC State catalog.

As a result, NC State became the 16th institution in the United States to offer Industrial Engineering. Penn State had pioneered the field in 1908. The catalog listed a four-year curriculum totaling 225 quarter hours. However, the program had no faculty members and no graduates. At that time, both NC State and UNC–Chapel Hill awarded engineering degrees. Meanwhile, NC State also housed a School of Science and Business that granted Industrial Management degrees. Within a few years, leaders consolidated engineering at NC State. In contrast, they moved business programs to Chapel Hill.

Earlier, in 1923, Wallace C. Riddick established the School of Engineering. He served as the university’s fourth president and first Dean of Engineering. In addition, he coached NC State’s first football team. Therefore, he shaped engineering education until 1937.

In 1931–32, the catalog listed Howard Burton Shaw as Professor of Industrial Engineering and Director of the Engineering Experiment Station. He earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Harvard. Previously, he had taught at Missouri and Harvard. By the following year, he had fully devoted himself to Industrial Engineering.

In 1932–33, nine students enrolled, and Shaw served as the sole faculty member. Required courses included Introduction to Industrial Engineering, Engineering Economy, Engineering in Industry and Public Utilities. In 1933, Henry Saunders and Harold Thomason earned the first BS degrees. In 1934, two more students graduated, including Raymond Shafer. Later, Shafer became the first department head at West Virginia University’s Industrial and Management Systems Engineering program.

Enrollment remained small before World War II, with fewer than ten degrees awarded each year. Classes first met in the Civil Engineering Building on Lampe Drive. Then, in 1940, the department moved to Rooms 125–132 of the 1911 Dormitory. It remained there until Riddick Engineering Laboratories opened in 1950.

In 1938, Frank Groseclose became department head and brought instructor David Henderson. Together with Shaw, the three taught all IE courses for four years. When World War II began, Groseclose entered military service. After his 1946 discharge, he became the first head of Georgia Tech’s School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He later served as the Institute of Industrial Engineers’ first National President.

Tragedy struck in 1943 when Shaw died suddenly. Because Groseclose was on leave and Henderson had resigned, instruction stopped completely. Consequently, the department awarded no IE degrees from 1943 through 1948.

Rebuilding After the War (1946–1957)

The end of World War II marked a major turning point. As a result, the department is prepared to rebuild and grow. Professor Ronald Wiggins served as Acting Department Head and led the reactivation in 1946–47. Then, in January 1948, David Henderson returned as Department Head of Industrial Engineering.

That same year brought rapid growth and key milestones. Undergraduate enrollment surged to 135 students. At the same time, the BSIE curriculum earned its first accreditation. In addition, the department awarded its first graduate degree, an MSIE, to C. A. Swerdlove. Notably, the BSIE degree has remained continuously accredited since 1948.

Also in 1948, leaders launched the Furniture Manufacturing and Management program. Sig Johnson led the new FMM degree. Meanwhile, Rudy Willard assisted and later taught furniture production into his eighties.

In 1949, the department gained control of the Park Shops laboratories. These included foundry, welding, wood and machine shops. Along with the shops came Ralph Cope, Charles Madison and Fred Wheeler. Wheeler served as Superintendent of the Shops. Later, he became Mayor of Raleigh from 1953 to 1957.

During this period, students completed at least six weeks of summer industrial work. In addition, senior students traveled on extended field trips, sometimes reaching Atlanta. Consequently, these experiences shaped careers and built confidence.

In 1950, the department moved into Riddick Engineering Laboratories, then the most modern campus facility. That year, the department awarded 44 BSIE degrees. It also awarded the first BSFMM degree to Charles Tripp.

Transition and Modernization (1957–1973)

In 1954, NC State shifted from the quarter system to the semester system. As a result, both BSIE and BSFMM degrees required 152 semester credit hours. At the same time, leaders added a statistics course to the BSIE curriculum. In addition, faculty proposed a joint five-year BSIE, BSFMM and MSIE program. This bold idea was decades ahead of its time.

That same year, Henderson left to join a management consulting firm. Meanwhile, Carl Hart, a retired Western Electric executive, served briefly as Acting Department Head. Then, in 1955, Robert Carson arrived from Clemson University. Carson held the first Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan. In 1956, he established NC State’s Alpha Pi Mu chapter. Soon after, he became Associate Dean of Engineering and stepped down as department head in 1957.

Next, Clifton A. Anderson from Penn State became department head in 1957. He served a record 16 years, the longest tenure in department history. Under his leadership, the faculty modernized the curriculum with new quantitative methods. As a result, both students and faculty gained national recognition through professional societies.

At the same time, leaders strengthened the graduate program. Consequently, the Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering earned approval in 1967 without revision at any level. In 1969, the department awarded its first Ph.D. to Manmohan Wig. Salah Elmaghraby advised Wig and later became the first director of the Operations Research program.

Growth, Recognition and Maturity (1973–1999)

When William Smith became Department Head in 1973, he launched a period of steady growth. As a result, enrollment increased rapidly, and research centers expanded. At the same time, student success gained national attention. In 1981, the department celebrated its 50th anniversary. Along with that milestone, leaders created a strategic plan for the next decade.

During the 1980s, enrollment reached record levels. In fact, the department awarded more than 100 BSIE degrees each year. Meanwhile, student chapters earned repeated national honors. As students excelled, faculty numbers also grew. In addition, leaders launched the Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering Institute, known as IMSEI. Consequently, graduate education expanded and strengthened.

In 1990, Stephen Roberts became Department Head. Under his leadership, the department established new centers and reduced degree credit requirements. At the same time, the faculty expanded distance education programs. Then, in 1999, Jim Wilson became Department Head. Notably, he was the first leader to be promoted from within the department’s faculty ranks.

Transformation, Philanthropy and a New Home (2000–Present)

The new century brought national distinction and major change. In 2001, Thom Hodgson was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Then, in 2003, the department became the first academic unit worldwide to own an Electron Beam Melting machine.

In 2005, alumnus Ed Fitts made a historic $10 million gift. As a result, the department expanded scholarships, fellowships and global experiences. In addition, leaders grew research programs in significant ways. In recognition of his generosity, the department became the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Notably, it was the first named department in the UNC system.

Although the Great Recession caused setbacks, the department stayed focused on its vision. Consequently, Fitts-Woolard Hall opened on Centennial Campus in 2020. Generous support from Ed Fitts and Edgar S. Woolard Jr. made that facility possible.

Earlier, in 2017, Julie Swann became the department’s first female head. Under her leadership, the department strengthened outreach, inclusion and alumni engagement. At the same time, faculty expanded research in emerging areas. Today, the department continues to grow in human-systems engineering, advanced manufacturing, data science and systems optimization.

Looking Forward

In 1930, the department appeared as a single entry in the course catalog. Since then, it has grown into a globally recognized program. Today, the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering operates in a world-class facility. Throughout that growth, the department has stayed committed to excellence in education. In addition, faculty have driven innovation in research. At the same time, leaders have emphasized service to society.

Because of its strong foundation, the department honors its past. However, it also looks ahead with energy and purpose. As a result, faculty and students continue to push boundaries. They shape future engineers with strong technical and leadership skills. Moreover, they design and improve complex systems that affect daily life. Ultimately, the department continues to shape the engineers and the systems that shape the world.