Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan was the keynote speaker for Pratt’s centennial convocation. Classes were suspended that day so that all could attend.
For the 1981 Prattonia, students created a board game, The Game of Pratt. Other Prattonias have taken the form of a time capsule and stereoscopic images with a viewfinder.
1980 Ronald Reagan elected U.S. President. / 1 9 8 2 George Lois accepts an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, saying, “After 31 years, I get to graduate!” / 1983 President Reagan signs into law a bill making Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday. / 1 9 8 4 Billy Joel films the music video for his hit single, “The Longest Time,” on Pratt campus. / 1984 Apple introduces the Macintosh computer. Selling for about $2,500, the Macintosh was Apple’s first success in the personal computer market. / 1 9 8 5 Coca-Cola changes its formula and name to New Coke. The negative public reaction forces the company to revert to the original formula. / 1 9 8 6 The School of Architecture introduces concentrations in construction management, historic preservation, and facilities planning and management. / 19 8 7 Pratt Institute reaches its centennial year. / 1 9 8 9 The Berlin wall falls. East and West Germany are reunited.
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Eleanor k. baum Electrical engineer Eleanor K. Baum rose to become dean of Pratt’s School of Engineering in 1984, the first woman in U.S. history to hold such a position. The appointment was only one of many of Baum’s historic firsts. During her undergraduate studies in electrical engineering at City College of New York, Baum was the only female in her class. In 1965, she joined the Pratt faculty as an assistant professor, the first female faculty member in the School. Baum discovered her passion for teaching as a doctoral student at Polytechnic University. “It was where I first experienced the enormous satisfaction that comes from watching a student’s eyes light up,” recalled Baum in a 1984 Prattler profile. When she decided to pursue a career in academia, Pratt proved an excellent fit. “I liked teaching here . . . and being part of a school that is small, urban and diversified—not just an engineering school,” she explained. Building her career as a researcher and academic while nurturing Pratt’s engineering students, Baum served as chair of her department before being appointed as dean. After leaving Pratt in 1987, she continued to push gender boundaries when she was elected in 1995 as the first female president of the American Society for Engineering Education. She was recognized for her many professional contributions in 2007 when she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. The cover of the Pratt Institute Centennial Bulletin for 1987-88 incorporated Pratt memorabilia, archival images, and information about Pratt traditions.
125 anniversary pr attfolio
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